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Alex Lyon

Detroit Red Wings Sign Alex Lyon

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The Detroit Red Wings signed UFA netminder Alex Lyon to a two-year, $1.8MM deal today, per PuckPedia. He’ll earn $900K per season.

Having already added to their depth in goal with the signing of James Reimer, the Red Wings continue to try and improve one of their worst categories from the 2022-23 NHL season. In another attempt at getting more value than they paid for, it remains to be seen what version of Lyon the team will get next year.

Playing on the eventual 2023 Eastern Conference Champion, Florida Panthers, Lyon was one of the main reasons the Panthers even got to the dance in the first place. To end the regular season, Lyon posted a 6-2-1 record in nine games, carrying a .930 SV%, leading his team to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Heading into their first-round matchup against the President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, Florida wanted to ride the hot hand of Lyon in the net. Unfortunately at the time for the team, Lyon got completely lit up against the Bruins, leading to the team using Sergei Bobrovsky the rest of the way. In his four games against Boston, Lyon went 1-2-0, only garnering a .888 SV%, leading to his eventual move to the bench.

The jury is still out on whether or not the Red Wings plan to find their way back to contention next year, so Lyon may not be playing under as much pressure as he was in Florida. Likely going to be serving as a third-string goalie behind both Reimer and Ville Husso, Lyon will be an adequate option for Detroit if there is an injury or a complete breakdown from the other two.

Snapshots: Lyon, Love, Hockeyville

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Sergei Bobrovsky’s magical run for the Florida Panthers throughout most of the playoffs erased a lot of memories of the netminder who got them there in the first place. 30-year-old Alex Lyon, who started the season as the team’s third-string netminder, recorded a 6-2-1 record and .930 save percentage while playing in nine of the team’s final 12 games of the regular season, helping them snag a playoff spot after sitting on the outside looking in for much of the season.

Yesterday, Lyon’s agent, Pete Rutili of Wasserman Hockey, told Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic that his client’s preference is to stay in the Sunshine State, but there have been no talks between the Panthers and their pending unrestricted free agent. Florida expects youngster Spencer Knight back in the fold next season after taking time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, so Lyon wouldn’t have a likely NHL role if he returns. After seven seasons and more than 200 games of AHL action, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Lyon went elsewhere to find an easier path to more NHL action in 2023-24.

More from the NHL news cycle today:

  • The head coach of the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, Mitch Love, hasn’t completely cut ties with the Flames after being passed over for their head coaching vacancy in favor of his predecessor in the minors, Ryan Huska. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that while Love is still looking elsewhere for jobs on an NHL bench, he’s had discussions with the Flames about joining Huska’s staff as an assistant. Love has won AHL Coach of the Year honors in both of his two campaigns behind the Wranglers (formerly Stockton Heat) bench and guided them to a Pacific Division Final loss against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, who are now just one win away from the Calder Cup.
  • Next year’s Canadian Kraft Hockeyville preseason matchups will honor both the 2022 and 2023 winners of the award, seeing the NHL head to West Lorne, Ontario, on September 27 and Sydney, Nova Scotia, on October 1. Atlantic Division teams will comprise both matchups, with the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs facing off in West Lorne before the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators play in the Sydney showcase.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Strome, Eriksson Ek

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Nathan MacKinnon taking home the top spot. The Colorado Avalanche superstar scored three game-winning goals, and broke the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Through 68 games, he has 107 points, a per-game rate that only trails Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Second and third place went to Jordan Eberle of the Seattle Kraken and Alex Lyon of the Flordia Panthers, respectively. Eberle continues to be one of the most “clutch” players in the league, with two-game winning goals last week to bring his career total to 43, and send the Kraken to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Meanwhile, Lyon effectively saved the Panthers’ season by stepping into the crease and posting a .956 save percentage over six starts (all wins).

  • The Department of Player Safety has issued a $5,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct to Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome for his actions in last night’s game against the Avalanche. Strome threw a water bottle from the bench as Colorado won the game in overtime, and will have to pay a small fee.
  • The Ducks have also made a roster move, sending Olle Eriksson Ek back to the minor leagues. This is the fourth time in just a few days that Eriksson Ek has been involved in a transaction, bouncing up and down through the last part of the season as Anaheim tries to get to the summer break.

Snapshots: Panthers, Kuznetsov, Boldy, NCAA Bracket

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The Panthers have once again flipped their backup goalies, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Alex Lyon from AHL Charlotte while sending Mack Guzda back to the Checkers.  Lyon was sent down on Wednesday to get in some game action with starter Sergei Bobrovsky in the middle of a 12-game consecutive start streak.  Lyon has a 3.89 GAA with a .887 SV% in six starts with Florida this season while he has been much better in the minors, putting up a 2.43 GAA with a .910 SV% in 23 contests.  Guzda, meanwhile, is in his first professional season after signing as an undrafted free agent a little over a year ago.  He hasn’t seen any NHL action while posting a 2.85 GAA and a .900 SV% in 25 games with Charlotte.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov was injured in today’s game against Minnesota. Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post relayed (Twitter link) that there was no word following the contest about how long he might be out.  The 30-year-old has 12 goals and 39 assists in 70 games so far this season.
  • After recording a hat trick today against Washington, Wild winger Matt Boldy has reached one of his Schedule A bonuses, triggering a $212.5K payout, notes Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Minnesota is projected to finish well below the salary cap despite making several additions at the trade deadline so barring a significant rash of injuries, they should be able to absorb that on their cap this year instead of using the bonus cushion to push it to 2023-24.
  • The NCAA has released the official bracket for the tournament leading to the Frozen Four and the DI Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. The action gets underway on March 23rd and as teams get eliminated, there should be an influx of players signing with NHL teams soon after, both drafted prospects and undrafted free agents.

Minor Moves: Red Wings, Bruins, Kraken, Coyotes, Panthers

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This morning, the Detroit Red Wings assigned Matt Luff and Austin Czarnik to the AHL, as they await a game later this week. The Red Wings don’t play again until Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, giving them a chance to save some money in the meantime.

Here are some other minor moves from around the league today:

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko under emergency conditions, after sending him down yesterday. Lauko hasn’t played since March 2 and has just 12 appearances this season, but has been bounced back and forth between leagues whenever the team is dealing with injuries. Through those 12 matches, he has five points in his first taste of NHL action.
  • The Seattle Kraken have recalled John Hayden from the AHL, as they hit the road for a game in San Jose tomorrow night. The Kraken are coming off consecutive losses to the Dallas Stars and have now slipped below the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division playoff race. Hayden, 28, has just two points in five NHL games this year.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned forward Bokondji Imama to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The 26-year-old is an alternate captain for the Coyotes’ farm team, where he has provided hard-working physical play and 12 points of offense at that level. He’s played the last two games for the Coyotes, seeing time in both of the team’s consecutive overtime wins.
  • The Florida Panthers have swapped goalies on their NHL roster, sending down 2022 Calder Cup Champion Alex Lyon in favor of rookie Mack Guzda. The move allows the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, to get the more experienced goaltender as they look to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Florida Panthers Reassign Spencer Knight, Grigori Denisenko

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The Florida Panthers announced Wednesday that the team has reassigned goalie Spencer Knight and winger Grigori Denisenko to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Alex Lyon has been recalled to replace Knight’s spot on the roster.

While some eyebrows might raise at Knight getting demoted to the minors, this is purely a cap-related transaction. With winger Anthony Duclair expected to make his season debut Friday as he returns from an Achilles tear, the Panthers need to scratch and claw for every dime of cap space possible in order to take Duclair’s $3MM cap hit off long-term injured reserve.

Reassigning Knight, Denisenko, and Chris Tierney, who Florida waived hours ago, would free up an additional $2.6MM in space to bring their projected cap hit down to roughly $85.1MM. While over the $82.5MM Upper Limit, Patric Hornqvist’s $5.3MM cap hit remains on LTIR to keep them compliant.

While Knight will surely return after the Panthers’ cap situation is resolved, it’s not a guarantee Denisenko receives an immediate call-up. The 15th overall pick in 2018 has again been limited to a fourth-line role and has three assists in 17 games with Florida this year.

Lyon has made six appearances for the Panthers in 2022-23, recording a .887 save percentage and a 3-2-1 record.

Florida Panthers Place Spencer Knight On Injured Reserve

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Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight is headed for injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, as reported by Florida Hockey Now’s Colby Guy. The team also announced Tuesday afternoon that they recalled Alex Lyon from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers to replace Knight on the active roster.

In a highly disappointing season for the Panthers, the play of the 21-year-old Knight has been a bright spot. He’s been markedly better than Sergei Bobrovsky, maintaining a 9-7-3 record despite the team’s record being below .500. Knight’s .906 save percentage is also more than 10 points higher than Bobrovsky’s .895 mark.

Based on the team’s messaging, it’s unclear how long we can expect Knight to stay on injured reserve. The only information head coach Paul Maurice gave today was that Knight isn’t “100 percent” and that the team will “get him checked out.”

In the meantime, expect the Panthers to do everything they can to get their $10MM man in Bobrovsky back on track. He’s been largely inconsistent throughout his mega-contract with Florida, but he showed signs of life last season. Unfortunately for the Panthers, he hasn’t been able to make it two strong seasons in a row.

Lyon, 30, remains among the better veteran third-string options in hockey. A defending Calder Cup champion with the Chicago Wolves, Lyon also brings 24 games of NHL experience to the Panthers bench. He has a .909 save percentage and a 9-8-2 record with Charlotte this season.

Florida Panthers Loan Alex Lyon To AHL

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Dec 14, 4:16 pm: The Panthers have returned Lyon to AHL Charlotte, according to a team announcement. Knight is now healthy and fully recovered from illness after missing four games, per Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards.

Dec 8, 4:28 pm: The Florida Panthers have since announced that Knight is dealing with a non-COVID illness and will not play tonight. Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start in net. Forward Anton Lundell is also dealing with a non-COVID illness.

Dec 8, 3:28 pm: The Florida Panthers have made a roster swap, recalling veteran netminder Alex Lyon from the Charlotte Checkers, their AHL affiliate, and sending forward Aleksi Heponiemi to Charlotte. The move leaves Florida still with the maximum 23 skaters, something they haven’t been able to have for much of this season.

It’s unclear what the exact basis is for recalling Lyon, as neither Spencer Knight nor Sergei Bobrovsky appear to be injured at this time. Knight had been pulled from last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets early on in the second period, however that appeared to be performance related, with the goaltender allowing three goals on 15 shots. Bobrovsky replaced Knight and finished out that game.

Given Bobrovsky’s struggles this season and not wanting to burn out Knight, adding Lyon into the mix could serve to push Bobrovsky while giving Knight a bit of a break. Lyon has had a solid season thus far with the Checkers, recording a 2.80 goals-against and .903 save-percentage in 12 games.

As for the 23-year-old Heponiemi, the forward has bounced around between the NHL and AHL plenty this season, and was most recently recalled on an emergency basis on December 4th. The shuffling hasn’t hurt him too much, recording two points in seven NHL games this season, as well as seven points in 16 games in the AHL.

Alex Lyon, Anthony Bitetto Sign With Florida Panthers

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Florida has landed a third-string netminder to serve behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports the team has signed depth goalie Alex Lyon. They’ve also added some depth on the back end, adding Anthony Bitetto to a one-year, two-way contract.

Lyon, 29, is fresh off winning the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves, where he posted a .923 save percentage in 12 playoff appearances. An undrafted free agent signing out of Yale in 2016, he has been strong in the minor leagues but only appeared 24 times in the NHL.

He may not get any more chances this year but is at least a strong option should one of Bobrovsky or Knight face an injury.

Bitetto meanwhile is in a similar situation, save for the recent Calder Cup win. The 31-year-old defenseman has 197 games under his belt at the NHL level but none of those came in 2021-22. Instead, he split the year between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the San Jose Barracuda, scoring 17 points in 53 games.

If he’s playing regular minutes with the Panthers it is because they are dealing with serious injuries but should represent a stable veteran presence in the AHL.

Morning Notes: Slafkovsky, Nemec, Lyon

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There’s a new number one on Bob McKenzie’s 2022 NHL Draft Rankings for TSN. Juraj Slafkovsky has overtaken Shane Wright for the top spot on a list that is developed by polling active scouts around the league. The Slovakian forward is 6’4″, skilled, and has already proven he can dominate at the senior level. Slafkovsky won tournament MVP at the Olympics, scored nine points in eight games at the World Championships, and was a force for TPS in the Liiga playoffs.

With just over a week to go before the draft in Montreal, the Canadiens’ choice is still unclear in the first-overall slot. The first round will be held on July 7 at the Bell Centre, with the official order now set following the completion of the Stanley Cup Final.

  • Slafkovsky, Wright, and Logan Cooley appear to have separated themselves in the top three, though Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports notes that the Arizona Coyotes, slotted to pick third, could also be eyeing Simon Nemec. One of the top-ranked defensemen this year (along with David Jiricek), Nemec has the offensive upside and skating ability that make scouts drool in today’s NHL. Should he climb that high, it would be an incredible achievement for Slovakian hockey, with two picks in the top three selections.
  • He won the Calder Cup over the weekend but Alex Lyon is getting suspended anyway. The Chicago Wolves netminder has been given a two-game AHL ban for his actions following the game, giving the finger to the Springfield crowd multiple times. The 29-year-old netminder will have to serve it whenever he is next on an AHL roster, though it’s not clear where that will be. Lyon is an unrestricted free agent this summer as a one-year, two-way deal with the Carolina Hurricanes expires.

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