Red Wings Notes: Petry, Walman, Husso
Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry could miss tomorrow night’s game against the Washington Capitals as he is dealing with an illness. Petry didn’t participate in practice today and could be a game-time decision against the Capitals. The 36-year-old is in his first season with the Red Wings after being traded twice last year and has posted two goals and 17 assists in 62 games while averaging just a shade under 19 minutes of ice time per game.
Petry has struggled as of late, registering just a single assist in his last 11 games while going -11. His underlying numbers are some of the worst he’s had in his 14-year NHL career, which isn’t all that surprising for a 36-year-old defenseman who has seen a decline in his game for the past few seasons.
In other Red Wings notes:
- Helene St. James also tweeted that Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde wasn’t sure about defenseman Jake Walman’s availability for tomorrow night’s game against Washington. Walman joined practice today for the first time since being injured on March 17th in a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lalonde said the team would wait to see how Walman responds to the practice before deciding his availability for tomorrow night’s game but didn’t feel it was likely that he would play. The 28-year-old has averaged almost 20 minutes a game this season on Detroit’s backend, dressing in 61 games and registering 12 goals and nine assists.
- Ansar Khan of MLive is reporting that Red Wings netminder Ville Husso has had a few setbacks and likely isn’t ready to get back into game action yet as he attempts to return to the lineup from injury. Lalonde added that when Husso is comfortable enough to play it will likely be in a conditioning assignment with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. Husso has played just 8:48 since suffering a lower-body injury back on December 18th. He returned on February 13th but once again suffered an injury and was forced to leave the game after playing less than half a period and facing just eight shots.
Pavel Francouz May Be Headed For Retirement
Meghan Angley of DNVR Avalanche is reporting that Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland provided an update today on the status of injured netminder Pavel Francouz. MacFarland said that the goaltender’s situation could lead to retirement because of the nature of his injury. He added that there are no plans for Francouz to ramp up his efforts to return to NHL action.
Francouz has been sidelined this year with a groin injury and was ruled out of action for this season back in November 2023. He returned to Czechia to be with his family at that time leading to speculation about the severity of his injury.
The 33-year-old hasn’t played since April 9th, 2023, and made 16 appearances during the 2022-23 season, recording an 8-7-1 record with a 2.61 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. He was a key part of the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup run, particularly in the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. Francouz went 6-0 in that playoff run with a shutout and a 2.81 goals-against average.
If this is the end for Francouz it will leave a big hole for the Avalanche to fill both on the ice and in the dressing room. Aside from being a fan favorite, Francouz has repeatedly shown a desire to stay with the Avalanche for less than market value signing a two-year $4MM extension back in 2022. The Avalanche will be hard-pressed to find similar value this summer on the free-agent market.
Should Francouz retire, it will be a sad ending to a rock-solid NHL career as one of the better backups we’ve seen in recent memory. Francouz has compiled a 44-21-6 record in 73 appearances along with a .919 career save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average.
Pacific Notes: Pietrangelo, Hoffman, Emberson, Gibson, Stalock, Evans
Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo indeed did not travel with the team to kick off their road trip and is out tonight against the Blues due to illness, Lou Korac of NHL.com relays. The 34-year-old has already missed three games with the illness, last factoring into the lineup on March 17 against the Devils. It’s his second multi-game absence of the campaign – he missed five games with an upper-body injury back in October. The seven-year, $61.6MM deal he signed in free agency in 2020 continues to age relatively well as it crosses the halfway point. He’s again logging number-one minutes, averaging 23:38 per game. He’s not the highest-producing Golden Knights defender – Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore have him beaten in that regard – but he’s still managed 32 points in 62 games this year. The two-time Stanley Cup champion will be replaced by Nicolas Hague on the team’s top pairing alongside Hanifin in what is perhaps Vegas’ biggest game of the season tonight in St. Louis against their biggest threat for a playoff spot.
Other updates from the Pacific Division:
- Sharks winger Mike Hoffman has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury since March 9 against Ottawa, which the winger confirmed Sunday to Colby Guy of San Jose Hockey Now was the first concussion of his career. Hoffman has been a full participant in practice in recent days but hasn’t yet been cleared for game action. The former top-six fixture has continued to regress after potting six straight 20-goal seasons between 2015 and 2020, posting 10-12–22 in 61 games with the Sharks this year in mainly third-line minutes. The 34-year-old is in the final season of a three-year, $13.5MM deal signed with the Canadiens in 2021 and found his way to San Jose in last offseason’s Erik Karlsson three-way swap with the Penguins.
- Sticking in the Bay Area, promising shutdown prospect Ty Emberson‘s season is likely over due to a lower-body injury, head coach David Quinn said Monday (via Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now). The 23-year-old has missed over 20 games already this season with different injuries and hasn’t played since Feb. 29 against the Ducks. It’s a tough end to an otherwise promising rookie campaign, as Emberson logged 10 points in 30 games and will finish the season with a team-high -4 rating among skaters with at least 10 games played. The 2018 third-round pick of the Coyotes is on his third NHL organization after being dealt to the Rangers in July 2022 and being claimed off waivers by the Sharks to begin the 2023-24 season.
- The Ducks have starter John Gibson back at practice today after he missed Sunday’s loss to the Lightning for personal reasons, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports. As such, the team has returned veteran Alex Stalock to AHL San Diego after he backed up Lukáš Dostál last night. Gibson’s numbers have taken a tumble lately after putting together a solid season prior to the All-Star break, now down to a .891 SV% and 3.40 GAA on the season with a 13-24-2 record. He’s also at risk of failing to record a shutout in a season for the first time in his 11-year career. He hasn’t posted a SV% above .900 in a single outing in over a month.
- The Kraken lost big-time last night, 5-1 to the Canadiens, but that wasn’t the only downside of the game. Promising rookie blue-liner Ryker Evans sustained a lower-body injury in the first period and is out on a day-to-day basis, head coach Dave Hakstol told Scott Malone of ROOT Sports NW. The 22-year-old has formed one of the better depth pairings in the league this year when used with veteran Brian Dumoulin, as they’ve controlled 61.4% of expected goals through 142 minutes of action, according to MoneyPuck. That’s 10th in the league among pairings with at least 100 minutes together this season. Through 25 contests, Evans has eight points while logging 18:30 per game and has remained on the roster since being called up on deadline day.
Stars Sign Ben Kraws To Entry-Level Deal
2:09 p.m.: Dallas has made Kraws’ signing official in a team release, confirming the deal is for the 2024-25 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
12:10 p.m.: The Stars are signing college free agent netminder Ben Kraws to a one-year entry-level contract, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports.
Kraws, 23, has spent the last five seasons in college hockey with three different universities. Once a backup/tandem goalie for Miami University and Arizona State, Kraws transferred to St. Lawrence University for his graduate season, where he broke out as the team’s starter and ended up a nominee (but not finalist) for this year’s Hobey Baker Award.
The 6’5″ New Jersey native had a spectacular run to close out the season, recording a SV% north of .920 in seven straight contests as St. Lawrence upset their way through the ECAC conference tournament before losing the final to Cornell last weekend. He played in 37 out of their 39 games on the season, recording a 2.49 GAA, .919 SV%, two shutouts, and a 14-17-6 record behind one of the weaker teams in the conference.
Since it’s a one-year and not a two-year ELC, that suggests the signing age of the contract is 24, meaning the deal goes into effect for the 2024-25 campaign, not immediately – it would be a two-year deal if so. Kraws could join AHL Texas on a tryout for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign, however. He’ll be an RFA in 2025 and is just the third Stars netminder under contract for next season, joining Jake Oettinger and minor-leaguer Rémi Poirier.
Red Wings Reassign Jonathan Berggren
The Red Wings have assigned winger Jonatan Berggren to AHL Grand Rapids, per a team release.
Berggren, 23, had been a healthy scratch in five straight games. The 2018 second-round pick was one game away from losing his waiver-exempt status, which lapses next season regardless of if he plays another NHL game in 2023-24.
The Swede has been relegated to Grand Rapids for most of the season, an unexpected development after a breakout 2022-23 campaign. He made his first 67 career appearances last season, notching 15 goals and 13 assists to finish ninth on the team in scoring with 28 points. He did so in bottom-six minutes, averaging 13:28 per game, and managed decent possession numbers. His 47.3 CF% at even strength was ninth among Red Wings skaters and 1.2 percentage points above the team average.
However, his 2023-24 season began on a sour note as he was left off the opening right roster. He was recalled multiple times throughout the season on emergency loans but never remained up with the team on a full-time basis until after the trade deadline, last recalled on March 9. He only played in the Wings’ first three post-deadline games, though, seeing his ice time slip to 9:13 in his most recent appearance, a March 14 game against the Coyotes. That hasn’t stopped him from being productive in limited action, recording 2-4–6 in 12 NHL games on the season despite averaging only 10:52 per game.
He’s been similarly strong in the minors, where he’s rattled off over a point per game (19-27–46) through 43 appearances and leads Grand Rapids in scoring by a wide margin. Regardless, the pending RFA has remained on the outside of a Red Wings bottom six that head coach Derek Lalonde is opting to staff with lower-ceiling veteran presences like Austin Czarnik (one assist in 24 games), despite the team going 3-7-0 in their last 10 games and quickly losing ground in a tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
Berggren is nearing completion of his three-year entry-level contract, which carries a cap hit of $925K. He will have arbitration eligibility this summer.
Canucks Assign Jonathan Lekkerimäki To AHL
Canucks top forward prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki‘s time in North America has begun. The Swedish winger is heading to British Columbia to join AHL Abbotsford for the remainder of the season, GM Patrik Allvin announced Monday.
The 19-year-old has remained in the Swedish professional circuit since the Canucks made him the 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Things didn’t start well for the highly-touted prospect, though. He had an underwhelming performance last season in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, recording just three goals and nine points in 29 regular-season games for Djurgårdens IF, but exploded in the postseason with 15 points in 15 games as they lost the league final (and promotion back to the top-tier Swedish Hockey League) to Modo.
That was enough to convince Vancouver to sign Lekkerimäki to his three-year entry-level contract last summer, putting the team in some control of where he plays. Both sides decided it was best to keep him in Europe, but with Djurgårdens failing to gain promotion, the Canucks wanted to give him a change of scenery and a change to demonstrate what he could do in the top-flight SHL. Thus, he was assigned to Örebro HK, where exploded to finish as the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games. His season there ended early last week after Örebro was defeated by Luleå HF in their eighth-final playoff series. Örebro scored only twice in the three-game series, both coming in Game 1.
The Swedish youngster is already well-decorated internationally. He captured bronze and silver medals with Sweden at the 2022 and 2024 World Junior Championships, respectively. He also won gold at the U18 World Juniors in 2022 and a bronze medal at that season’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. While the Swedes fell to the Americans at this year’s WJC, it was not the fault of Lekkerimäki, who led the tournament with seven goals in seven games and received MVP honors.
Lekkerimäki is expected to return to Sweden at the end of the AHL season and attempt to crack the national team’s roster for the upcoming 2024 World Championship, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports. It may be his last stint back home for a while, as the 5-foot-11 sniper will be under consideration for making Vancouver’s opening night roster in 2024-25.
Coyotes Reassign Cameron Crotty
The Coyotes announced they’ve assigned defenseman Cameron Crotty to AHL Tucson. The move is Arizona’s third of the day after recalling winger Josh Doan and returning John Leonard to the minors. Their active roster is now at 13 forwards and six defensemen, including injured center Barrett Hayton (lower-body, day-to-day).
Crotty spent less than 24 hours on Arizona’s roster. The Coyotes recalled him under emergency conditions ahead of yesterday’s 4-2 loss to the Stars, entering the lineup and making his NHL debut in place of Josh Brown, who was out with an illness. He posted a -1 rating and recorded four shot attempts in 10:03 of ice time.
Returning him to Tucson today could indicate they expect Brown back for their game against the Blue Jackets tomorrow. Crotty is ineligible to stay on the roster as an emergency recall if six healthy defensemen are available.
The 2017 third-round pick has spent most of his professional career after inking his entry-level contract in 2020. The 24-year-old has nine goals, 29 assists and 38 points in 209 career games with Tucson and is producing at a career-best clip with 3-9–12 in 45 appearances this season.
Shortly before his ELC expired last offseason, Crotty inked a one-year, two-way extension ($775K/$90K/$115K) to remain in the desert. He’ll be an RFA with arbitration eligibility this summer if the Yotes issue him a qualifying offer.
Devils Reassign Isaac Poulter
The Devils have assigned goaltender Isaac Poulter to AHL Utica, per a team announcement.
Poulter, 22, had spent the entirety of his brief professional career on minor-league deals with Utica before earning an entry-level deal with the Devils last month. New Jersey has now recalled him twice this season on emergency loans to serve as a backup while injuries affected the Devils’ crease, although this most recent summons was to allow new starter Jake Allen some rest during yesterday’s 4-0 win over the Islanders. With Allen set to return to the gameday roster Tuesday against the Maple Leafs, Poulter’s presence is no longer necessary.
The former All-Star starter with WHL Swift Current has still yet to make his NHL debut. After spending most of 2022-23 two levels down with ECHL Adirondack, he’s pushed his way up to a full-time job with Utica this season and leads the team with 28 appearances, posting a strong 2.55 GAA, .911 SV%, 17-8-1 record, and four shutouts.
Signed to a two-year ELC, Poulter won’t be an RFA until 2025. He is waiver-exempt and will remain so until he passes 60 career NHL games or four NHL-contracted seasons, whichever comes first. His ELC carries an $812.5K cap hit and pays him a $70K salary in the minors this season.
Coyotes Recall Josh Doan
10:48 a.m.: The Coyotes have also assigned Leonard to AHL Tucson, per a team statement. The move brings them to 11 healthy forwards on the active roster without Doan, meaning they can bring him up on an emergency loan and conserve a standard recall.
8:00 a.m.: The Coyotes have recalled winger Josh Doan from AHL Tucson, GM Bill Armstrong told Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports late Sunday night. It’s the first major league callup for the 22-year-old, who Morgan says will make his NHL debut Tuesday against the Blue Jackets.
Arizona has no apparent or suspected absences among their 12 healthy forwards for tomorrow’s game, so this recall is likely a standard one, not an emergency loan. If so, the Yotes have burned their second of four post-trade deadline recalls after papering defenseman Michael Kesselring between leagues on deadline day.
An early second-round pick by the Coyotes in 2021 after going undrafted in 2020, Doan spent the following two seasons at Arizona State University, where he averaged just over a point per game and was awarded the captaincy in his sophomore season. The son of longtime Coyotes captain Shane Doan then inked his entry-level contract in March 2023, joining AHL Tucson on a tryout for the last 14 games of the regular season and their first-round playoff loss to Coachella Valley.
Some viewed the 6’1″ forward as a reach when the Coyotes made him the first overage selection in 2021, but he’s quieted most doubts with a season that should earn him some rookie of the year consideration in the minors. Doan has posted 26 goals and 46 points, leading the Roadrunners in both categories. He is only one of two players to suit up in all 62 games this season, joining defenseman Maksymilian Szuber.
A truly homegrown talent, the Scottsdale-born Doan has only played outside the Phoenix area for two seasons. From 2019 to 2021, he played at the major junior level with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. He’s been a massive part of Tucson’s turnaround this year, as they sit second in the Pacific Division after finishing under .500 in each of the last three seasons.
It’s unclear where Doan will slot into the Yotes’ lineup or how long they plan on keeping him around. A cursory look at their depth chart suggests he may debut in a third-line role alongside Matias Maccelli and Jack McBain, replacing 25-year-old farmhand John Leonard. In a few weeks, though, he’ll play an essential part in helping Tucson win their first playoff series since their Pacific Division semifinal win over San Jose in 2018, which remains the franchise’s only series victory since relocating to Tucson from Springfield in 2016.
Metropolitan Notes: Merzlikins, Gustafsson, Lindgren
Some players on non-playoff teams still have the chance to play meaningful games over the next couple of months by representing their national teams at the 2024 Men’s World Championship in Czechia. One will be Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzļikins, who confirmed to Latvian reporter Ulvis Brože that he’ll represent his country at the tournament. The Riga-born netminder will make his sixth appearance at the tournament, although only his second since joining Columbus in 2019. He’s done quite well at the tournament, posting a .917 SV%, 2.51 GAA, and three shutouts in 27 appearances despite playing behind one of the historically weaker rosters at the tournament. A leg injury stopped him from joining Latvia at last year’s event, which paved the way for Canucks prospect Arturs Silovs to put together a .921 SV%, 2.20 GAA, and 7-3-0 record in 10 games as the squad upset their way to a bronze medal.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Heading to the Big Apple, the Rangers were without defenseman Erik Gustafsson at Monday’s practice due to an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old Swede is listed as day-to-day but has not been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Flyers. He’s provided great value for the Blueshirts on a one-year, $825K deal, crossing the 30-point plateau in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career. The offensive-minded blue-liner has also posted solid possession metrics, boasting a 54.0 CF% at even strength along with a +7.2 expected rating. While averaging 17:15 on the season, he’s been promoted to a top-four role in recent days, with Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba both absent due to lower-body injuries.
- Speaking of Lindgren, the top-pairing fixture is inching toward a return as he took to the ice in a non-contact jersey at today’s practice for the first time since sustaining his injury against the Islanders on March 17, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports. He sustained an apparent severe knee injury after falling awkwardly into the boards during a collision with Isles center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but a return to the ice just over a week later suggests he’s avoided the worst. The Minnesota native has battled through multiple injuries this season, though, influencing some unusually poor possession numbers despite being stapled to number-one defenseman Adam Fox when in the lineup. Averaging 19:13 per game, he’s posted a 47.1 CF% at even strength and a -3.5 expected rating, both serving as the worst numbers since his rookie season. Still, it’s promising he’ll likely have a chance to return to the lineup and regain comfort with his game before the postseason begins.