Anaheim Ducks Assign Alex Stalock, Tristan Luneau To AHL
The Anaheim Ducks have trimmed their roster by two, sending goaltender Alex Stalock and defenseman Tristan Luneau to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Luneau, 19, is not yet eligible for full-time assignment to the AHL and will play his first games for the Gulls on a conditioning stint.
Anaheim doesn’t suit up again until Sunday against the Golden Knights, so these moves could just be to get Stalock and Luneau some playing time in the minors over the next few days. The Ducks brought Stalock up to the NHL roster under emergency conditions on Wednesday after starter John Gibson exited Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury. Listed as day-to-day, Gibson remains on the active roster but did not dress for Wednesday’s overtime win over the Arizona Coyotes.
Stalock, 36, signed a one-year deal worth $800K in the offseason to provide depth and competition for the backup role behind Gibson with youngster Lukáš Dostál. Dostál won the job in camp, however, and he hasn’t looked back. The 23-year-old was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October and has posted a 5-1-0 record in six appearances, boasting an exemplary .920 SV%, although he’s still looking for his first NHL shutout.
The veteran Stalock has battled back from multiple severe injuries in the past few years, including complications from long COVID and a severe concussion sustained last season while playing with the Chicago Blackhawks. Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Draft, Stalock has a 2.74 GAA, .919 SV% and a 1-2-0 record in three appearances with the Gulls this season.
Luneau, who projects as a fixture on the Ducks’ power play for years to come, made the team out of camp after signing his entry-level contract in September. After recording 83 points in 65 games with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques last season, he’s been a healthy scratch in eight of ten games with the Ducks and hasn’t played since October 21 against Arizona. He can head to San Diego for a maximum of two weeks and five games, after which he must be recalled to the Ducks or returned to Gatineau.
Ducks Recall Stalock As Gibson Is Day-To-Day With Injury
The Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Alex Stalock on an emergency basis, as goaltender John Gibson is out day-to-day with injury. Rookie goaltender Lukáš Dostál will fill in as the team’s starter in Gibson’s absence.
Dostal takes on the starter role only hours after being named the NHL’s ‘Rookie of the Month’ for his October performance. The 23-year-old goaltender appeared in five games in October, setting a 4-1-0 record and saving 152 of the 165 shots that he faced, good for a .921 save percentage; a stat that ranks 10th in the NHL among goalies with five or more games played. He was just two games shy of losing his rookie eligibility, playing in 23 NHL games prior to this season. He recorded a dismal 5-12-3 record in those games, although his .902 save percentage spoke to the potential for strong future showings. That potential is certainly shining through now, with Dostal poised for a great opportunity as long as Gibson remains out.
Interim backup Alex Stalock is continuing his journeyman career with a call-up to the Anaheim Ducks – now his fourth NHL team. With three games for the San Diego Gulls this season, Stalock has now played for seven different AHL clubs as well – although two of those teams were different affiliates of the San Jose Sharks. Either way, it’s been a winding career for the 36-year-old Stalock, who was originally picked 112th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. He will become the 11th player from that draft class to play this season, if he finds his way into Anaheim’s crease.
Snapshots: Ehlers, Arizona, Anaheim, Washington
Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers will be healthy for the team’s opening game against the Calgary Flames. The star has been dealing with neck spasms and wore a non-contact jersey through part of training camp. Ehlers missed multiple pre-season games, calling into question his availability for opening night, although it seems he’s mounted a recovery in the second half of camp.
Ehlers has had a closer relationship with injured reserve in recent years, spending six weeks on the list with a hernia last season. He scored 38 points in the 45 games he did appear in during the 2022-23 season. This was a 69-point scoring pace, which would have been the most points of Ehlers’ eight-year NHL career. His career totals are up to 523 games, 176 goals, and 396 points. His scoring is an important attribute of Winnipeg’s top-six. The team will hope he’s moved on from his injury bug as he suits up for the start of their 2023-24 campaign.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Arizona Coyotes have shifted some players around as they trim down to a final NHL roster. Michael Kesselring, Victor Soderstrom, Vladislav Kolyachonok, and Zach Sanford have all been assigned to Tuscon in the AHL.
- Anaheim has assigned Andrew Agozzino and Alex Stalock, both NHL veterans, to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
- The Washington Capitals have made a series of moves, assigning Max Pacioretty to long-term injured reserve, Joel Edmundson to injured reserve, and Hardy Haman Aktell, Aliaksei Protas, and Connor McMichael to Hershey in the AHL. They have also recalled Riley Sutter to the NHL roster.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Alex Stalock To One-Year Deal
The Anaheim Ducks have signed goaltender Alex Stalock to a one-year contract, per a team release. It’s a one-way deal worth $800K, according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens.
Anaheim is the 36-year-old netminder’s fourth NHL stop (and sixth NHL organization overall) as he enters his potential 12th NHL season. It’s been quite the long road since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, where he eventually grew into a full-time backup by the mid-2010s. Serious health issues have limited Stalock’s playing time over the past handful of seasons, including a scary bout with myocarditis, which caused him to miss the entire 2020-21 campaign.
It was a tough break for the veteran netminder, who at the time was coming off a career-best 20 wins, 36 starts, and four shutouts with the Minnesota Wild as he captured the starting role heading into the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a long road back to full health, Stalock did post quite solid numbers behind a poor Chicago Blackhawks team last year, recording a team-leading .908 save percentage and 3.10 goals-against average. He also captured both of the team’s lone two shutouts.
Now, he has a chance to get some NHL looks again in Anaheim. He’s been brought in as insurance, either if projected backup Lukas Dostal isn’t ready for full-time NHL action just yet, or to tandem with Dostal if the team trades longtime starter John Gibson. Extending him a one-way deal this late in the offseason makes it clear they don’t envision assigning him to the minors, however.
Islanders Notes: Nelson, AHL Goalie Depth, Salo
The past few seasons have been a bumpy ride for the New York Islanders, plagued by injuries and inconsistency. It’s kept them from making any deep playoff runs, something they did with relatively high frequency throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s.
One player who hasn’t let any outside noise affect him is center Brock Nelson. He’s recorded career-best offensive totals in each of the last two seasons, eclipsing the 35-goal mark for the first time in 2021-22 and the 70-point mark for the first time in 2022-23. With Nelson locked in for just two more seasons at a rather affordable $6MM cap hit, some had wondered if his name could be in trade talks with the Islanders’ roster tight to the salary cap. Today, however, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz shut down all speculation of a move in his latest mailbag, calling any trade rumors involving Nelson “utter nonsense.”
Many people didn’t have Nelson transforming into a number-one center overnight in his 30s on their bingo cards, but that’s exactly what’s happened. He’s one of the team’s most valuable forwards, often overlooked in favor of higher-profile names like Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. His role next season will be to help boost the production of the team’s better secondary scorers like Kyle Palmieri and Pierre Engvall, a line that was rather effective down the stretch of the 2022-23 regular season.
More from Kurz on some pressing Islanders topics today:
- The Islanders’ weakest position when it comes to organizational depth is inarguably goaltending. While the team boasts one of the best NHL-level tandems in Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, their minor-league netminding leaves much to be desired, and Kurz notes the Islanders are absolutely still in the market for a veteran third-string goaltender. Currently, the starting job in AHL Bridgeport is slated for 23-year-old Jakub Skarek, who’s yet to post above a .896 save percentage throughout four seasons in the minors. Kurz names Jaroslav Halak, Brian Elliott, Martin Jones, and Alex Stalock as options with notable NHL experience still looking for a home who may have to settle for a minor-league role.
- One player who went into last season with high expectations was defenseman Robin Salo, the team’s 2017 second-round pick. He made the Islanders out of camp but didn’t stick, recording four points in 11 games throughout the first part of the season before the team assigned him to Bridgeport permanently in January. He posted just 14 assists in 38 games with Bridgeport, though, failing to score a goal throughout the entire season. After a rough year, Kurz says he’d be surprised to see Salo make the opening night roster again next season and thinks he’s slipped pretty far down the team’s depth chart of left-shot defenders. He also went so far as to call Salo a trade candidate and that if he’s not moved, the team may not issue him a qualifying offer next offseason.
2023 NHL Awards Winners
2023 The NHL Awards were given out tonight in Nashville. The ceremony kicks off what should be a busy week as teams continue to prepare for the NHL Entry Draft and free agency, which begins on July 1st.
Here is the full list of winners, with the top two runners-up in each category:
Calder Trophy – Top Rookie
Winner: Matthew Beniers (Kraken)
Runners-Up: Owen Power (Sabres), Stuart Skinner (Oilers)
Norris Trophy – Top Defenseman
Winner: Erik Karlsson (Sharks)
Runners-Up: Adam Fox (Rangers), Cale Makar (Avalanche)
Ted Lindsay Award – Most Outstanding Player (as voted by the players)
Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)
Runners-Up: Erik Karlsson (Sharks), David Pastrnak (Bruins)
Lady Byng Trophy – Most Gentlemanly Player
Winner: Anze Kopitar (Kings)
Runners-Up: Jack Hughes (Devils), Brayden Point (Lightning)
Hart Trophy – Most Valuable Player
Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)
Runners-Up: David Pastrnak (Bruins), Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)
Vezina Trophy – Goaltender Of The Year
Winner: Linus Ullmark (Bruins)
Runner-Ups: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Ilya Sorokin (Islanders)
Selke Trophy – Best Defensive Forward
Winner: Patrice Bergeron (Bruins)
Runners-Up: Mitchell Marner (Maple Leafs), Nico Hischier (Devils)
Jack Adams Award – Coach Of The Year
Winner: Jim Montgomery (Bruins)
Runners-Up: Dave Hakstol (Kraken), Lindy Ruff (Devils)
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy – Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication
Winner: Kris Letang (Penguins)
Runners-Up: Clayton Keller (Coyotes), Alex Stalock (Blackhawks)
King Clancy Memorial Trophy – Humanitarian
Winner: Mikael Backlund (Flames)
Runners-Up: Anders Lee (Islanders), Darnell Nurse (Oilers)
Mark Messier Leadership Award
Winner: Steven Stamkos (Lightning)
E.J. McGuire Award – Prospect Commitment to Excellence
Winner: Connor Bedard (Regina Pats, WHL)
Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees.
Kris Letang Wins 2023 Masterton Trophy
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has won the Bill Masterton Trophy as the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The long-time Penguins rearguard was awarded the trophy over Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes and Alex Stalock of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Letang suffered through a tumultuous season as he suffered a stroke in late November 2022, and in an incredible feat, he returned to the Penguins lineup just 12 days later, missing a total of five games. Unfortunately, after just eight games, Letang suffered a lower-body injury that forced him out of the lineup once again. When he returned to the Penguins lineup, he and the club were preparing for the Winter Classic when his father sadly passed away.
Letang returned to the club and posted a four-point game, including an overtime winner in a game that just felt like a storybook. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, the Penguins fell short of the playoffs. However, Letang was still one of the Penguins’ best defensemen despite being 36 years old and being forced through the gauntlet. Letang finished the year with 12 goals and 29 assists in just 64 games.
Blackhawks Notes: Toews, Draft Picks, UFAs, Goalies
Aside from drafting their next franchise center at the end of the month, the biggest storyline in the Chicago Blackhawks’ offseason is what the future holds for his predecessor, captain Jonathan Toews. A return to the Blackhawks has seemed very unlikely for some time, given how the end of the season went. Still, speculation around a return, given the impending entrance of Connor Bedard, has been a topic of discussion.
According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Toews is expected to be announced in the coming weeks to announce a decision regarding retirement or a potential move to another team in free agency. Toews, 35, took a leave of absence prior to the 2020-2021 season due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, which, along with some effects of long COVID, caused him to miss a stretch of games near the end of 2022-23 as well.
Should Toews choose to hang up his skates, it would mark the end of a notable career that includes three Stanley Cup championships and numerous accolades but a debatable reputation as a captain stemming from the sexual assault scandal that occurred during the team’s 2010 championship run. After completing his eight-year, $84MM contract extension signed in 2014, Toews will surely generate some interest from teams looking to fill out their middle six if he does decide to try and extend his career.
More from Powers on the Blackhawks this morning:
- In regards to their second first-round pick in the upcoming draft, 19th overall, the Blackhawks have a handful of players they’re hoping will still be available to them – and they’re likely to select a second forward to supplement Bedard. Among the prospects at the scouting combine, forwards Colby Barlow, Oliver Moore, Calum Ritchie, Matthew Wood, and Brayden Yager are potential options for the Blackhawks. Additionally, the team has shown interest in 6-foot-5 Russian forward Daniil But, and general manager Kyle Davidson expressed a lack of hesitancy to Powers around selecting Russian players in this year’s draft. Looking ahead to the team’s four second-round picks, goaltender Adam Gajan, forwards Otto Stenberg and Bradly Nadeau, as well as defensemen Oliver Bonk and Andrew Strathmann are potential considerations for the Blackhawks.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have made their decision regarding pending unrestricted free agents, says Powers, signaling that after re-signing Andreas Athanasiou, the team is unlikely to bring back any of their other UFAs. Players such as Jujhar Khaira and Alex Stalock, among a few others, will explore options elsewhere as the Blackhawks prioritize their roster composition to provide opportunities for younger players and build out some higher-end support for Bedard via free agency.
- Davidson also indicated to Powers that Arvid Soderblöm and Petr Mrazek are expected to form the team’s NHL goaltending tandem for the upcoming season. Speaking about the young goalies, Davidson emphasized Soderblöm’s potential and the development aspect of their decision-making process so as to not rush their other prospects. Soderblöm, who has already spent time as a North American pro (and played pro in Europe), holds an experience advantage over other prospects like Jaxson Stauber and Drew Commesso.
NHL Announces 2023 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Nominees
Following up on the announcement of the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominees, the NHL also released the list of the 2023 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominees, which will include Clayton Keller (Arizona), Kris Letang (Pittsburgh), and Alex Stalock (Chicago). The award is annually given out to the player that “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey”.
At the end of last season, Keller suffered a broken leg in a game against the San Jose Sharks, an injury that would take six months to fully rehabilitate. He managed to start this season on opening night for the Arizona Coyotes, and played in all 82 games, scoring 37 goals and 49 assists, tying a long-time single-season point record for the Coyotes set by Keith Tkachuk in 1996-97.
In one of the most incredible stories of the 2022-23 season, Letang suffered the second stroke of his life in November of 2022, and also mourned the passing of his father, all within the span of one month. Miraculously, Letang would return in early December, scoring 29 points in 43 games after the fact. One of the long-time leaders for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Letang recovered, and continued to play a high level when many players may have called it a career.
Lastly, after only playing one game since the start of the 2020-21 season, Stalock made his return to professional hockey at 35 years old with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 27 games played in the Windy City, Stalock would produce a record of 9-15-2, carrying a .908 SV% and a 3.01 GAA. Stalock made his return to the NHL after suffering from myocarditis during the 2019-20 season, and although suffering multiple injury setbacks this year, was able to produce a quality season in Chicago.
The 2023 NHL Awards will take place at the home of the Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena, on Monday, June 26th at 8:00 PM ET.
Nominees Announced For 2023 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association has voted on the award since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2023.
Past winners of the award include Carey Price (2022), Oskar Lindblom (2021), Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), and Jaromir Jagr (2016).
Below are the nominees from each team:
Anaheim Ducks – Jakob Silfverberg
Arizona Coyotes – Clayton Keller
Boston Bruins – Nick Foligno
Buffalo Sabres – Craig Anderson
Calgary Flames – Mikael Backlund
Carolina Hurricanes – Jordan Martinook
Chicago Blackhawks – Alex Stalock
Colorado Avalanche – Andrew Cogliano
Columbus Blue Jackets – Boone Jenner
Dallas Stars – Jamie Benn
Detroit Red Wings – Robby Fabbri
Edmonton Oilers – Derek Ryan
Florida Panthers – Patric Hornqvist
Los Angeles Kings – Pheonix Copley
Minnesota Wild – Mason Shaw
Montreal Canadiens – Alex Belzile
Nashville Predators – Cody Glass
New Jersey Devils – Dougie Hamilton
New York Islanders – Zach Parise
New York Rangers – Jimmy Vesey
Ottawa Senators – Derick Brassard
Philadelphia Flyers – Nick Seeler
Pittsburgh Penguins – Kris Letang
San Jose Sharks – Nikolai Knyzhov
Seattle Kraken – Brandon Tanev
St. Louis Blues – Sammy Blais
Tampa Bay Lightning – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Toronto Maple Leafs – Mark Giordano
Vancouver Canucks – Brock Boeser
Vegas Golden Knights – Phil Kessel
Washington Capitals – John Carlson
Winnipeg Jets – Sam Gagner