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Kraken Reassign Cale Fleury

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April 14: Fleury was returned to Coachella Valley before today’s loss to the Blues, CapFriendly indicates.

April 12: Earlier today, Seattle returned a trio of young forwards to AHL Coachella Valley so that they can get ready for a potentially long playoff run down there.  There weren’t any corresponding recalls announced at the time but the Kraken have indeed brought a player up from the Firebirds.  However, that move came on the back end as the team announced (Twitter link) that Cale Fleury has been recalled on an emergency basis.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to being brought up under these circumstances as it’s the fifth time he has been brought up on emergency recall since last month’s trade deadline, meaning they haven’t counted against Seattle’s four regular recall limit.  However, Fleury hasn’t seen much NHL action on those promotions, suiting up just once this season, coming last Friday.

Fleury has spent the bulk of the year with the Firebirds and has done quite well, notching seven goals and 27 assists while his plus-30 rating is tied for second-best in the AHL.  Most of the time, he has been returned quickly to Coachella Valley following these recalls; we’ll see this weekend if that recent history repeats itself.

Afternoon Notes: Shattenkirk, Dobson, Kopitar, Sharpe

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Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been fined $2,734.38 for unsportsmanlike conduct in last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins (Twitter link). It is the maximum allowable fine under the collective bargaining agreement. Shattenkirk earned the fine when he reached over the bench and slashed Bunting on the wrist as he was skating by, after Bunting tripped Linus Ullmark. Shattenkirk wasn’t assessed a penalty during the game and went on to score Boston’s third goal in their eventual 6-4 victory.

This is just the second run-in Shattenkirk has had with the Department of Player Safety in his 950 career games, with his last punishment being a two-game suspension for charging Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kevin Gravel in March of 2017.

Shattenkirk has managed four points across his last five games, heating up at the perfect time. Boston will be glad he avoided suspension, as they chase the top spot in the Atlantic Division with two games left in the season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The New York Islanders may need to finish their season without top defender Noah Dobson, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury per head coach Patrick Roy and Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). Roy also shared that forward Kyle MacLean felt sick after practice, though he’s still expected to play tomorrow. The Islanders have two games remaining in their season, and could technically still lose their playoff spot – if they drop both games and both the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals win-out. Robert Bortuzzo will step back into the lineup in Dobson’s absence.
  • Los Angeles Kopitar captain Anze Kopitar missed the team’s practice once again, remaining day-to-day with an undisclosed injury that held him out of the team’s Saturday night win over the Anaheim Ducks, per Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider (Twitter link). Dooley adds that the team doesn’t seem concerned about Kopitar’s availability. That’s certainly good news, with the future Hall of Famer certain to be a main factor in their postseason success, after posting 26 goals and 70 points in 79 games this season. The Kings opted to ice seven defensemen in Kopitar’s absence, returning Jacob Moverare to the lineup. They could continue that approach in their final two games of the season, though Arthur Kaliyev is their extra forward should they want to ice four full lines.
  • The Toronto Marlies have signed defenseman Chas Sharpe to a two-year, minor-league contract set to begin in 2024-25 (Twitter link). Sharpe, 20, joins the team as an undrafted free-agent, having spent the last four seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads. He recorded 19 goals and 53 points in 67 games this season, and served as Mississauga’s captain.

Maple Leafs Sign Nicolas Mattinen To One-Year Contract

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Nicolas Mattinen to a one-year, two-way contract that’s set to begin in 2024-25 (Twitter link). The Leafs originally drafted Mattinen in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, though they lost his rights in 2018 after not signing him.

Mattinen has since had a bit of a journeyman career. After four years in the OHL, he moved to USports in the 2019-20 season, playing at the University of Ottawa until 2022, though he lost one season to COVID-19 cancellations. He played eight AHL games with the Laval Rocket at the end of the 2021-22 season, recording three goals in eight games, though he opted to move overseas for the last two years – playing in both Austria and Germany. He’s been incredibly productive in the new setting, recording 16 goals and 46 points in 52 DEL games this season – a mark that led all DEL defensemen in scoring and earned Mattinen the DEL’s Player of the Year award.

Mattinen has now earned his way back into the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, inking a deal that makes him eligible for an NHL call-up, should he earn it. The Leafs have certainly shown no shyness towards their minor-league defenders this season, awarding each of Simon Benoit, Conor Timmins, Marshall Rifai, and Maxime Lajoie a chance at routine ice time. Benoit has proven the proudest of the bunch, with his stout defense and play along the boards earning him a daily lineup role. Mattinen will fight to join their ranks next season, playing in his first full year of North American pros.

Sharks Recall Daniil Gushchin, Jack Thompson, Georgi Romanov

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Daniil Gushchin, defenseman Jack Thompson, and goaltender Georgi Romanov for the final two games of the season (Twitter link). These moves come after San Jose officially clinched last place in the league yesterday, following a 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.

Both Gushchin and Thompson have played in NHL games this season, but this is the first call-up of Romanov’s career. The 24-year-old netminder is in his first North American season after spending the majority of the last two years with Gornyak-UGMK of the VHL, Russia’s second-tier league. He posted a .916 save percentage across 80 VHL games, performing well enough to earn an undrafted free-agent contract with San Jose last May. Romanov has since spent most of this season in the AHL, recording nine wins and a .904 save percentage in 29 games, though he’s also played in seven ECHL games. A start in the NHL would make him the second Sharks goalie this season to play in all three leagues, joining Magnus Chrona, who’s managed a .859 in nine NHL games.

The trio of Gushchin, Thompson, and Romanov could each be poised for strong ice time in San Jose’s final games, as the team gets a look at prospects on the fringe of the lineup. That could mean less ice time for the few 30-year-olds on the roster, including Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Jan Rutta, and Ryan Carpenter. Gushchin has appeared in four NHL games across the last two seasons, recording three points, while Thompson’s has only managed his NHL debut, playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning in January. Both players will be searching for their first NHL goal of the season.

Injury Notes: Jensen, Sandin, Coleman, Hanley

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As expected, the Washington Capitals will be holding out defenseman Nick Jensen for the final two games of the regular season according to Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post. In a positive development, however, Johnson also reports that Jensen was at the team facility today, indicating that the injury sustained last night is not as serious as previously expected.

Joining Jensen in the press box for the final two games will be defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who has been out since April 8th with an upper-body injury. With their eyes on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Capitals will have to defeat the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers without two of their top-four defensemen.

Now that both Lucas Johansen and Dylan McIlrath are on the roster due to two separate emergency loans, one of them will have to draw into the lineup for the final two games of the regular season. Johansen has already suited up in six games for the Capitals earlier this season but may opt to go with McIlrath on the right side to keep some continuity within their defensive pairings.

Other injury notes:

  • At the team’s skate this morning, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet reported that Calgary Flames defenseman Joel Hanley has returned to practice after missing the last five games due to an undisclosed injury. As expected, the Flames organization thinned out their defensive core at this year’s trade deadline, bringing in Hanley via waivers from the Dallas Stars to keep quality depth within their system. In 10 games since being claimed by Calgary, Hanley has scored one goal and two points in total, averaging 14:32 of ice time per night.
  • Staying in Calgary, in the same report from Steinberg, he reported that forward Blake Coleman also returned to the ice for practice, but not as a full participant. Coleman has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, and may not be able to hit the 30-goal threshold for the first time in his career. Nevertheless, Coleman has had an impressive offensive season based on his previous years, scoring 29 goals and 52 points over 77 games for the Flames this season.

Washington Capitals Recall Dylan McIlrath

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After last night’s scary event involving defenseman Nick Jensen of the Washington Capitals, the team was put in a position to recall a defenseman to replace his spot in the active lineup. With this in mind, the team announced they have recalled defenseman Dylan McIlrath from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, on an emergency loan.

There has still been no official update coming from the organization in regards to the health status of Jensen, who had to be stretchered off the ice after a violent collision with Michael Eyssimont of the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Capitals only having two games remaining in the regular season, it is more than likely they will keep Jensen out for both of those matchups at the very least.

For McIlrath, the brutish defenseman is in his third season with the Capitals organization, primarily spending his time in the AHL. In 192 games with the Bears, McIlrath has scored seven goals and 32 points overall, while also playing 20 postseason games for the Bears last year, helping the organization secure their 12th Calder Cup Championship.

Since the end of the 2019-20 NHL season, McIlrath hasn’t had much opportunity at the NHL level, only managing three goals and six points over 73 career games. Once a top prospect for the New York Rangers organization after the team selected him with the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, McIlrath has been unable to replicate the defensive prowess that he showed with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL all those years ago.

Poll: Who Captures Final Eastern Conference Wild Card Spot?

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A few weeks ago, when the standings were more fluid, we ran a poll inquiring about which teams would grab the final two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. Now, with the Tampa Bay Lightning already securing the top spot, there are still four teams fighting over the final spot with less than three games remaining.

The Washington Capitals, who now have the highest odds of capturing the spot with two games remaining, have only produced an 11-9-2 record since the start of March. However, they have picked up key wins in games with playoff implications, defeating the Detroit Red Wings twice, the Pittsburgh Penguins once, and the Philadelphia Flyers once. If the season ended today, the Capitals would line up against the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, but will likely have to beat both the Boston Bruins and Flyers in their last two games.

Following the Capitals, the Red Wings kept their postseason dreams alive last night with an overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now tied with Washington in both games played and points, Detroit ultimately loses the tiebreaker due to regulation wins. To get in, the Red Wings will need the Capitals to lose at least one of their final two games, while Detroit must sweep in their home-and-home against the Montreal Canadiens. So far this year, the Red Wings have split with the Canadiens in two games this season, with both games going to overtime.

Behind the Capitals and Red Wings, the Flyers and Penguins are still technically in the hunt but have some very difficult math to get in. The Flyers can only max out at 89 points, with a 7-10-4 since March 1st making their postseason aspirations more and more bleak. Technically earning better odds for a postseason spot than the Flyers, the Penguins can still max out at 90 points on the year, after a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games has vaulted them into the playoff conversation.

Over their next two games, if the New York Islanders fail to capture a point and both the Capitals and Penguins win their final two, the Capitals would take the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, while the Penguins have the opportunity to capture the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With several possibilities still up in the air leading into the last few games of the regular season, the Eastern Conference wild-card race is bound to go down to the last minute.

Who Captures Final Eastern Conference Wild Card Spot?
Detroit Red Wings 46.04% (512 votes)
Washington Capitals 24.55% (273 votes)
Pittsburgh Penguins 21.22% (236 votes)
Philadelphia Flyers 8.18% (91 votes)
Total Votes: 1,112

If you can’t see the poll embedded above this, click here to vote.

Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Ekman-Larsson, McMann

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As the regular season comes to an end, many players on non-playoff teams are making decisions on whether or not to suit up for their country in this year’s IIHF World Championships. One of those players, Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators, is leaning toward playing for Team USA per multiple reports (X Link).

Since officially joining the Senators organization back in the 2018-19 NHL season, Tkachuk has not suited up in international play. However, he was the captain for Team USA in the 2018 World Junior Championships, scoring three goals and nine points in seven games, helping lead his team to a bronze medal finish.

If Tkachuk does join Team USA for this year’s rendition of the tournament, he will be attempting to bring the team closer to relevancy in the tournament. The United States has not been awarded a gold medal in the tournament since 1960, which is also the last time they have been awarded any medal higher than bronze.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • In the team’s overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres this evening, the Florida Panthers received some negative news on their blue line. At the start of the second period, the team announced that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson would not return to the game due to an upper-body injury after only managing 3:04 minutes of ice time. Since the Panthers only have one game remaining in the regular season, it is more than likely the organization will sit Ekman-Larsson out for that game to have him fully rested for the playoffs.
  • In a similar fashion to Ekman-Larsson, the Toronto Maple Leafs have lost forward Bobby McMann for the remainder of their game tonight against the Detroit Red Wings (X Link). Suffering from a lower-body injury, McMann fell awkwardly in the Toronto defensive zone and very gingerly skated back to the Maple Leafs’ bench. Regardless of the severity, it may also be likely for Toronto to hold McMann out the final two games of the regular season so that he is at full capacity for the postseason.

Metro Notes: Brindley, Jensen, Hinostroza

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Earlier today, as expected, forward prospect Frank Nazar opted to leave the University of Michigan as he signed his entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Following in his footsteps, his now-former teammate Gavin Brindley is expected to do the same and sign his entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Brindley may sign an entry-level contract starting in the 2024-25 NHL season, while he would join the Cleveland Monsters for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs on a PTO. Although Brindley firmly believes he is ready to turn pro, he would not be put in a position to play meaningful games for the Blue Jackets this season.

It is difficult to disagree with Brindley, who just capped off one of the more impressive offensive seasons in the NCAA. Playing for the Frozen Four-bound Wolverines, Brindley played in a total of 40 games, scoring 25 goals and 53 points overall.

Other Metro notes:

  • In the first period of tonight’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, a scary moment took place between forward Michael Eyssimont and defenseman Nick Jensen. After a fierce collision, Jensen needed to be stretchered off the ice but was conscious and had full control over his extremities (X Link). As the organization’s medical personnel continue to monitor Jensen’s condition, the public will likely know more tomorrow about his long-term health status.
  • Before the team’s important game tonight against the Boston Bruins, the Pittsburgh Penguins made a transaction to thin out their roster for tonight’s matchup. Per a team announcement, the organization has reassigned forward Vinnie Hinostroza to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Unfortunately, Hinostroza will not be able to play in any games for the organization this evening, as the transaction took place after the puck dropped for the WBS Penguins.

West Notes: Dunn, McDavid, Girard

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The Kraken shut down defenseman Vince Dunn for the season ahead of today’s 3-1 loss to the Stars, GM Ron Francis told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Their top blue-liner hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury on April 3 against the Kings.

Dunn, 27, had barely played since the trade deadline, and his absence cost Seattle any small chance they had at making a late-season run to the playoffs. An upper-body injury sustained on a check from behind from Flames winger Martin Pospisil in early March knocked him out of action for nearly a month, and he played just one full game upon returning before taking an elbow to the head from Los Angeles winger Alex Laferriere.

While the team hasn’t confirmed, both plays involved head contact and could have resulted in concussions. As such, he’ll get an extended period of rest and will look to rejoin the team over the summer and be a full participant in training camp. His season ends after registering 46 points in 59 games, nearly last season’s exact point-per-game pace that helped him earn 11th place in Norris Trophy voting. He has three seasons remaining on his contract, which carries a $7.35MM cap hit.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • The Oilers will again be without Connor McDavid tonight against the Canucks, per Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels. A regulation win without their captain would put Edmonton within one point of Vancouver for the Pacific Division title with three or fewer games remaining for both squads. McDavid has a lower-body injury that’s been nagging him for a while, he said earlier this week, although it was aggravated in his last appearance, an April 6 meeting with the Flames. Tonight will be his third straight absence, which further delays his chase for 100 assists. The 27-year-old had a whopping 24 points in his last 11 games before exiting the lineup.
  • Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard left today’s game against the Jets with an upper-body injury and didn’t return, per the team. Head coach Jared Bednar said post-game that he’s entered concussion protocol. It’s a tough blow to a team already reeling from the 7-0 loss to Winnipeg, now primed to lose home-ice advantage in their upcoming first-round series. The 25-year-old Girard has yet again anchored their second pairing behind Cale Makar and Devon Toews, ranking third among Colorado d-men in average time on ice (19:39) and fourth in points per game (0.31). While his three goals and 15 assists in 58 contests have been underwhelming offensive production from the blue-liner, he’s cleaned up his possession game after a difficult couple of seasons. His 55.9 CF% and +7.5 expected rating are his highest since 2020-21.

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