Stars Recall Derrick Pouliot And Matt Murray
The Stars have made a pair of additions to their roster heading into their opening-round series against Vegas. The team announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Derrick Pouliot and goaltender Matt Murray from AHL Texas.
Pouliot has spent most of the season in the minors, getting into 64 AHL contests where he has been quite productive, notching nine goals and 37 assists, setting new personal benchmarks across the board. That helped earn him five appearances with Dallas where he was held off the scoresheet while logging just over a dozen minutes a night of ice time.
Jani Hakanpaa is making progress in coming back from a lower-body injury that has kept him out for the last month but he’s not quite ready to return. It appears Pouliot will be the seventh defenseman while waiting for Hakanpaa to eventually return.
As for Murray, his addition to the roster isn’t due to an injury to either Jake Oettinger or Scott Wedgewood. Instead, the team has termed his recall as “for purposes of emergency during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs”. There are no emergency (EBUG) options in the postseason so teams will often make sure to have a third netminder on hand which Murray will serve as.
The 26-year-old played in one NHL contest this season, collecting a 23-save shutout over Minnesota back in January. Meanwhile, he got into 31 contests in Texas, posting a 14-15-2 record with a 3.02 GAA and a save percentage of .896.
Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Lohrei, Cormier, Knight
The availability for Maple Leafs winger William Nylander for tonight’s series opener against Boston is up in the air. He didn’t take part in the game day skate today and head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t have any updates. Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the injury isn’t something he was trying to play through down the stretch (where he struggled, notching just four points – all assists – in his final 11 games). Instead, he woke up with some discomfort on Thursday that has made him uncertain for this one. Despite the late-season struggles, Nylander finished second on Toronto in scoring this season, picking up 40 goals for the second straight year while posting a career-best 58 assists and 98 points.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- The Bruins announced that they’ve returned blueliner Mason Lohrei to AHL Providence, one day after being recalled. The 23-year-old has been recalled to the NHL roster on 11 separate occasions this season, where he got into 41 games, recording 13 points and 63 blocks in just under 17 minutes a night of action, good numbers for a rookie. Lohrei also has played in 19 contests with Providence, picking up a goal and 14 helpers. If Lohrei isn’t going to be in Boston’s lineup, it makes more sense to have him continue to play in the minors but if an injury strikes on the back end in the playoffs, he could be recalled once more.
- The Panthers have added goaltender Evan Cormier to their roster, relays George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 26-year-old was converted to an NHL deal just before the trade deadline, making him eligible to be recalled. Cormier isn’t covering for an injury but instead will serve as Florida’s third-string emergency option and a practice netminder. He spent most of this season with ECHL Florida, posting a 2.93 GAA and a .907 SV% in 22 games.
- Panthers netminder Spencer Knight was named the recipient of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award, per an announcement from the AHL. The award goes to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey. Knight spent the entire season in the minors after coming back from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to receive help with managing obsessive-compulsive disorder. The 23-year-old has a 2.45 GAA and a .904 SV% in 44 games with AHL Charlotte this season and will stay down there to help in their playoff run; he’ll likely take Cormier’s spot as the third-string option once the Checkers are eliminated.
Kings Recall Carl Grundstrom And Aaron Dell
The Kings have made a pair of roster moves as they get set for Monday’s series opener against Edmonton. The team announced that they’ve recalled winger Carl Grundstrom from his conditioning loan with AHL Ontario and also promoted goalie Aaron Dell from the Reign.
Grundstrom hasn’t played with Los Angeles in more than two months due to a lower-body injury but did get into a pair of games with the Reign this past week, picking up a goal and an assist. The 26-year-old played in 50 games with the Kings this season, collecting eight goals and four assists along with 115 hits while averaging a little under 11 minutes a night. With how long he has been out, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll jump back into the lineup right away but there’s a good chance he’ll suit up at some point in the series.
As for Dell, his AHL contract was converted to an NHL one last month, making him eligible to be recalled down the stretch. He played in a dozen games for the Reign after joining them midseason, posting a 2.57 GAA with a .914 SV%. The 130-game NHL veteran will serve as Los Angeles’ emergency third-string option for the postseason, allowing prospects Erik Portillo and Jacob Ingham to serve as Ontario’s tandem heading into the AHL playoffs.
Metropolitan Notes: Fast, Pageau, Shea
The Hurricanes will be without one of their wingers for their series opener against the Islanders today. Chip Alexander and Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer relay that Jesper Fast will be unavailable for the first game of the series at a minimum due to a neck strain suffered on Tuesday in the final game of the regular season. However, the injury isn’t expected to keep the veteran out for long as GM Don Waddell said that it’s “a matter of days” before Fast returns to the ice though head coach Rod Brind’Amour added the 32-year-old won’t play until he gets at least one full practice in. Fast is coming off a quiet year that saw him collect just 19 points in 73 games but he was one of Carolina’s key secondary scorers in the playoffs last season so they’ll certainly be hoping he can return as soon as possible.
More from the Metropolitan:
- The Islanders have listed center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body) as a game-time decision against Carolina, notes Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 31-year-old left Wednesday’s game in the first period and didn’t return. Pageau had a solid regular season on the third line, collecting 11 goals and 22 assists while playing in all 82 games for the first time since 2016-17.
- After clearing waivers on Friday, the Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve re-assigned defenseman Ryan Shea to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 27-year-old didn’t make his NHL debut until this season but got into 31 games with Pittsburgh, scoring once while averaging 12:37 per night. Shea, a pending unrestricted free agent, has suited up 22 times for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, collecting six points and will continue to play for them in their upcoming playoff action.
Jonathan Drouin Ruled Out For Opening Round Due To Injury; Avalanche Recall Three Players
The Avalanche will be without a key part of their forward group for the opening round against Winnipeg. The team announced today (Twitter link) that winger Jonathan Drouin will miss the first-round series due to a lower-body injury.
The 29-year-old suffered the injury in the second period of Colorado’s regular season finale against Edmonton and did not return. It was a game where Edmonton elected to sit as many of its key players as possible while the Avs elected to dress pretty much their intended playoff lineup, a decision that clearly wound up not working out for them.
After a rough finish to his time with Montreal, Drouin elected to take a low-cost one-year deal with Colorado in the hopes of boosting his value for next summer. After a slow start, he certainly did just that. Drouin produced at nearly a point-per-game level over the final two months of the season, earning himself a full-time promotion to the top line in the process. All told, his first year with the Avalanche ended with 19 goals and 37 assists in 79 games; his 56 points rank eighth among all pending unrestricted free agents.
Colorado only has two extra forwards on their active roster at the moment. One is winger Joel Kiviranta, who had just nine points in 56 games this season. The other is Chris Wagner, who Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports (Twitter link) has been recalled from AHL Colorado. Both are better suited as fourth-line depth players so some line reshuffling certainly will be happening before their series gets underway on Sunday.
Not long after the injury, the team confirmed Wagner’s recall while also announcing (Twitter link) that Brad Hunt and Arvid Holm have also been recalled. Hunt, a defenseman, had a very productive year, notching 16 goals and 33 assists in 70 games. Holm, meanwhile, will serve as Colorado’s third-string emergency netminder. The 25-year-old, who will become a Group Six free agent this summer, posted a 2.97 GAA with a save percentage of just .887 in a dozen games with the Eagles this season.
Injury Updates: Lightning, Barron, Sandin, Jensen
Several injured Tampa Bay players appear to be nearing a return to the lineup. Team reporter Chris Krenn notes (Twitter links) that forwards Tyler Motte and Luke Glendening along with defenseman Haydn Fleury all took part in a full practice today in advance on Sunday’s series opener against Florida. Motte missed the final week of the season with a lower-body injury, Glendening was scratched for their regular season finale with an undisclosed injury, while Fleury has been out the last two weeks with an upper-body issue. All three players play depth roles for the Lightning, the forwards on their fourth line and Fleury as a seventh defenseman; all should see action in the opening round at some point.
Meanwhile, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times adds (Twitter link) that blueliner Mikhail Sergachev also skated in a regular (full contact) jersey. He has already been ruled out for the start of the playoffs since undergoing leg surgery back in February but this is certainly a key step toward potentially returning later in the opening round. Sergachev logged over 22 minutes a night for the Lightning this season and his potential return down the road would undoubtedly give their back end a significant boost.
Other injury news heading into the opening games of the playoffs:
- Jets center Morgan Barron won’t be available for their series opener against Colorado tomorrow, relays Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). The 25-year-old left Tuesday’s win over Seattle in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Barron was a quality fourth liner for Winnipeg this season, chipping in with ten goals despite logging just 10:30 per night. One of David Gustafsson and Cole Perfetti will likely take Barron’s spot in the lineup.
- Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin practiced today in a non-contact jersey, notes NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury and with the non-contact designation, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to suit up in the series opener against the Rangers on Sunday. Sandin was an important part of Washington’s back end this season, logging over 21 minutes a night while collecting 23 points in 68 games.
- Sandin wasn’t the only injured Washington blueliner who took to the ice today as Gulitti adds (Twitter link) that Nick Jensen also practiced in a non-contact jersey. Jensen suffered an upper-body injury last week against Tampa Bay and was stretchered off the ice. The 33-year-old spent a lot of time on the Capitals’ second pairing this season, picking up 13 points while averaging a little under 20 minutes a night. Like Sandin, the non-contact designation likely means he won’t be available on Sunday either.
Penguins Sign Tristan Broz
After helping lead the University of Denver to the NCAA title, Pittsburgh prospect Tristan Broz has decided the time is right to turn pro. The Penguins announced that they’ve inked the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract that begins in 2024-25. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 21-year-old was a second-round pick by the Penguins back in 2021, going 58th overall after a strong season with USHL Fargo. He made the jump to the college ranks the following year but had a very quiet freshman season at the University of Minnesota, resulting in Broz entering the transfer portal after that campaign came to an end.
The decision to transfer worked out quite well as Broz had a strong first year in Denver, collecting 10 goals and 18 assists. He then improved on that again this past season, tallying 16 goals and 24 helpers in 34 games, finishing fourth on the Pioneers in scoring. He scored a pair of overtime winners in the tournament, landing a spot on the All-Tournament Team for his efforts.
While Pittsburgh’s season has ended with the Penguins not qualifying for the playoffs, Broz’s year hasn’t ended just yet. He has joined AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an amateur tryout agreement and will be eligible to suit up for them down the stretch. The Baby Pens sit third in the Atlantic Division on the penultimate day of the AHL’s regular season and have already clinched a playoff spot.
Senators Notes: Coaching, Buyouts, Norris
The Ottawa Senators wrapped up their season with locker cleanout on Friday, giving general manager Steve Staios a chance to share updates with the media. He spent much of his time addressing the team’s coaching situation, saying they have a long list of candidates that they’ll whittle down over the summer, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
The Senators have been without a long-term head coach since D.J. Smith’s firing on December 18th. Jaques Martin stepped in as interim head coach, leading the Senators to a measly 26-26-4 record and a spot well outside of the playoffs. Staios mentioned that Martin would continue with the team in a consulting role, but isn’t in the race for the vacant head coaching role. Neither is Senators legend Daniel Alfredsson, who Staios says wanted more time before pursuing the coaching path. That likely leaves the Senators looking externally, where they’ll find plenty of strong candidates.
Other notes from Staios’ press conference:
- Staios added that the team isn’t planning on utilizing any buyouts this off-season, per Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan (Twitter link). That’s despite weaker performances from costlier names, like Joonas Korpisalo and Travis Hamonic. Ottawa is projected to have $12.8MM in cap space this off-season, per CapFriendly and an $87.5MM salary cap. With no support from buyouts, that will be all they have to re-sign their six pending free-agents, including Erik Brannstrom, Dominik Kubalik, and Shane Pinto.
- Staios also shared that forward Joshua Norris is expecting to be ready for the start of next season, shares Garrioch. Norris was limited to just 50 games this season, and hasn’t played since late February, once again dealing with nagging shoulder injuries. Norris was limited to just eight games last season because of shoulder issues, and underwent the third shoulder surgery of his four-year NHL career in March. He’ll look to recover once again, and hope for healthier fortune next season.
Penguins Notes: Prospects, Injuries, Rebuild
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas had an eventful locker-room cleanout, sharing plenty of news, updates, and plans with the media following the end of the season. Most exciting of the bunch was Dubas’ support of the team’s young prospects, sharing that he expects forwards Brayden Yager, Vasili Ponomarev, and Sam Poulin; defenseman Owen Pickering; and goaltender Joel Blomqvist to each compete for NHL roles next season, shares Rob Rossi of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Penguins fans will hope that their GM is right as he alludes to young talents holding onto lineup roles. Pittsburgh carried the oldest roster in the NHL this season, with an average age of 29.78 per EliteProspects.
They’ll certainly get plenty of talent in the names Dubas mentioned. Both Yager and Pickering spent the season in the WHL. Yager had a career year, scoring 35 goals and 95 points and adding five points in five World Juniors games. Pickering also recorded career-high scoring – though not with as much of a jump as Yager – netting 46 points in 59 games to top his 45-point season last year. Meanwhile, Blomqvist served as the starter for the Wilkes-Barre/Scanton Penguins, recording a dazzling .921 save percentage in 44 games.
Other notes from Pittsburgh’s cleanout:
- Dubas also shared that legacy defenseman Kris Letang will be getting a second opinion on if he needs surgery this summer to address an undisclosed injury, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review. Rorabaugh also mentioned that Matthew Nieto suffered another injury following his surgery in January, and will seek a second opinion on if surgery or rehab is the next step. Emil Bemstrom is also hurt, finishing the season with a concussion. Nothing was made about these injuries being alarming, though Penguins fans will want to keep a close eye on Letang’s recovery. The future Hall-of-Famer appeared in all 82 games this season, but reportedly played through injury down the stretch.
- Dubas hinted at an interesting approach in his press conference, saying that the Penguins wanted to approach their rebuild similar to how the Los Angeles Kings have approached theirs, per The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (Twitter link). The Kings have managed a fairly quick rebuild – if this year’s postseason berth signifies success – while maintaining key veterans like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Penguins will approach things similarly, looking to build around their long-time core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Letang. The Kings were aggressive in the open market, acquiring Phillip Danault, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kevin Fiala, and Vladislav Gavrikov. One has to think Michael Bunting and Erik Karlsson represent two of these impactful additions, though Pittsburgh will need to continue addding if they want to claw back into the postseason.
The Unleased 2024: Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents
Players typically have to wait until their 27th birthday to become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team. But there are other ways to make it to the open market, including Group VI Free Agents. This CBA clause allows players under contract to become unrestricted free agents, if they meet the following clauses:
- The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
- The player has completed three (3) or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19-year-old player), or one (1) or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
- The player has played fewer than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender. This games played requirement is subject to pro-rating due to the shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
Each season, a handful of players maintain Group VI eligibility and depart from their team’s control early. Earlier today, CapFriendly outlined which players are eligible this year (series of Twitter links). As always, we’ll compile all pending Group VI free agents below.
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Ryan McGregor
Cameron Crotty
Travis Barron
John Leonard
Nathan Smith
Matt Villalta
Boston Bruins
Oskar Steen
Reilly Walsh
Linus Weissbach
Kyle Keyser
Buffalo Sabres
Brandon Biro
Justin Richards
Brett Murray
Calgary Flames
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Nathan Clurman
Riley Tufte
Arvid Holm
Ivan Prosvetov
Columbus Blue Jackets
Carson Meyer
Nick Blankenburg
Joshua Dunne
Dallas Stars
Fredrik Karlstrom
Scott Reedy
Nicholas Caamano
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Matt Kiersted
Lucas Carlsson
Alex True
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jack Rathbone
Valtteri Puustinen
Dmitri Samorukov
San Jose Sharks
Seattle Kraken
Tampa Bay Lightning
Mitchell Chaffee
Sean Day
Cole Koepke
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Lucas Johansen
Matthew Phillips
Winnipeg Jets