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Andrei Svechnikov

Hurricanes Notes: UFAs, Noesen, Svechnikov

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The Carolina Hurricanes had one of the most shocking playoff exits in recent memory, swept out of the playoffs by the Florida Panthers after dropping just three games in the first two rounds combined. The combination of key injuries and some outstanding performances from star Panthers left them searching for answers again.

Now, with free agency right around the corner, news poured out of the Hurricanes’ locker cleanout day:

  • It started with captain Jordan Staal, who explained that he doesn’t plan to play anywhere but Carolina next season. The pending UFA will be 35 before the 2023-24 campaign kicks off, but loves being a Hurricane and wants to come back. He even went so far as to say that he wants to finish his career in Carolina.
  • Frederik Andersen, a pending free agent, also wants to return. That’s his “priority” as the two-year deal he signed in 2021 comes to an end. Both Andersen and fellow veteran goaltender Antti Raanta are set to hit the open market, while Pyotr Kochetkov’s new four-year deal kicks in.
  • There was also some injury news, though, with Stefan Noesen explaining that he suffered a grade three shoulder separation. Fortunately, it isn’t expected to require surgery, meaning he’ll be ready for the start of next year. Noesen, 30, finally found a home in Carolina, scoring 13 goals and 36 points in 78 games.
  • Andrei Svechnikov, who had to watch the entire playoff run after suffering a serious knee injury, was optimistic about his recovery timeline and told reporters he’d be on the ice in a month. His absence was certainly felt in the Florida series, after scoring 23 goals and 55 points in 64 games this season.

Snapshots: Wolanin, Dawes, Svechnikov

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The AHL continues its award week by handing out the Eddie Shore Award to Christian Wolanin, the league’s most outstanding defenseman for 2022-23. The Abbotsford Canucks defender scored six goals and 55 points in 49 games.

Wolanin, 28, has been on the fringe of the NHL for years, moving up and down but rarely seeing any extended action at the highest level. Since debuting in the 2017-18 season, he has appeared in 86 career NHL games, recording 23 points.

  • It’s been years since Nigel Dawes was a regular in the NHL, so fans in North America may not know about his overseas exploits. The 38-year-old finally called it a career today, after spending the last 12 years playing in the KHL and DEL. One of the most prolific offensive players in KHL history, he scored 84 points in 212 NHL games before leaving for international opportunities in 2011.
  • While he won’t be able to help the Carolina Hurricanes this postseason, Andrei Svechnikov hopes to be ready for training camp. Svechnikov tore his ACL and underwent surgery on March 16, and was given a six to nine-month recovery timeline. The talented forward is well into his rehab, working out every day in preparation for his return in 2023-24. Even though he can’t help them on the ice, Svechnikov is still part of the team, winding the siren to excite the home crowd before last night’s game.

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hughes, Ersson, Svechnikov

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With Jan Rutta and Jeff Petry both leaving Tuesday’s game against Montreal with undisclosed injuries, the Penguins were forced to finish that contest with four blueliners.  As Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out, they might not be able to dress six for Thursday’s contest against the Rangers.  Even with Dmitry Kulikov going on LTIR earlier today, that still only opens up enough cap space for one recall with Anaheim holding back half of Kulikov’s cap hit.  That means that Pittsburgh could bring up Mark Friedman or Taylor Fedun from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Ty Smith is injured) but they would still have to play short a blueliner for a game before becoming eligible for a cap-exempt emergency recall.  Of course, if one of Rutta or Petry can suit up against New York, they’ll be able to ice a full lineup.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers prospect Riley Hughes has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a seventh-round pick by New York back in 2018 (216th overall) but hasn’t been particularly productive over four years at Northeastern.  This season, Hughes had just two goals and four assists in 32 games, numbers that weren’t going to help him earn an entry-level deal this summer.  He’s eligible for one more bonus year of eligibility and that season will now be played elsewhere.
  • The Flyers have assigned Samuel Ersson back to AHL Lehigh Valley, interim GM Daniel Briere told reporters including Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was recalled yesterday with Carter Hart being out due to illness but it appears that Hart will be ready for their next game on Friday against Buffalo.  Ersson has played in 13 games with Philadelphia this season, posting a 3.07 GAA and a .898 SV%.
  • As expected, the Hurricanes have placed winger Andrei Svechnikov on LTIR, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old is out for the season is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery on Thursday.  The placement adds Svechnikov’s $7.75MM AAV to Carolina’s LTIR pool, one that went into the day with less than $850K in space, or enough for one AHL recall.  With Svechnikov on LTIR, affording recalls shouldn’t be an issue for them for the rest of the season.

Andrei Svechnikov To Undergo Knee Surgery

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The Carolina Hurricanes will have to try to win the Stanley Cup without Andrei Svechnikov. The team has officially announced that Svechnikov will undergo season-ending knee surgery on Thursday to repair a torn ACL. His months-long recovery will keep him out for the playoffs.

General manager Don Waddell released the following statement:

After further consultation with global experts in this field, it has been determined that the best course of action for Andrei’s future is to have this surgery, and to have it done by our team orthopedist, Dr. Marty Isbell. We’re confident that Andrei will make a full recovery.

It is brutal news for a Hurricanes team that had already lost Max Pacioretty for the playoffs but still looked like a legitimate contender. The 22-year-old Svechnikov is a difference-maker for them, coming off his first 30-goal season and sitting at 55 points through 64 games this season.

One of the true power forwards in the game, he mixes skill, physicality, and puck protection to drive play for the Hurricanes, elevating his linemates by giving them more room to maneuver. Svechnikov’s 140 hits lead Carolina, as do his 18 even-strength goals and 205 shots on net.

In what has become a gauntlet in the Eastern Conference, the Hurricanes must now rely on the rest of their forward group to step up. Jesse Puljujarvi, acquired at the deadline, could receive an opportunity to play higher in the lineup and establish himself as a key member moving forward.

More responsibility could also be given back to Teuvo Teravainen, amid his worst season in years. The 28-year-old has just ten goals and 33 points on the year after scoring at least 63 points in each of his last four full seasons. In Sunday’s game without Svechnikov, Teravainen logged nearly 19 minutes, his tenth-highest of the year.

There is certainly enough talent to fill out an imposing lineup sheet, but losing Svechnikov is a serious blow. The team is running out of time with this core group, as free agency looms for several key players in the next few years.

Metropolitan Notes: Svechnikov, Flyers, Kulikov

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The Carolina Hurricanes announced some tough injury news with regards to Andrei Svechnikov. The Russian winger is ruled out indefinitely with a knee injury. The 22-year-old winger is one of the Hurricanes best players, having scored 23 goals and 55 points in 64 games this season. The Hurricanes are currently tied for first place in the Metropolitan Division with the New Jersey Devils.

It sounds like Svechnikov’s injury could be a long-term one. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported the team is worried it could be a torn ACL which would rule Svechnikov out for the season. The player and the team are seeking out a second opinion and hoping for a more positive outcome. With Max Pacioretty already out for the season with an achilles injury, the Hurricanes are already missing a star winger. Losing Svechnikov as well would put a lot of pressure on the rest of their roster to find consistent playoff scoring.

  • Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is sick and will miss tonight’s game against the Vegan Golden Knights. Backup Felix Sandstrom will start in Hart’s absence, which fortunately sounds like a short term one. O’Connor also mentioned Sean Couturier is skating in a non-contact jersey. Couturier has missed the entire season following back surgery and appears to be inching closer to full health. Head Coach John Tortorella said he would rather the star center just focus on being ready for next year’s training camp but if Couturier is cleared to play they will have a discussion about his future.
  • Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop reports the Pittsburgh Penguins will be without one of their trade deadline acquisitions when they take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight. Dmitry Kulikov left Sunday’s game against the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury and did not join the team at practice this morning. Head Coach Mike Sullivan said after practice that Kulikov is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Snapshots: Juulsen, Svechnikov, Kolesar, Boudon

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The Canucks have started extension discussions with defenseman Noah Juulsen, report Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal in a column for The Athletic (subscription link).  The 25-year-old has played in eight games with Vancouver so far this season with five of those coming this month as he plays his way into a regular role.  Juulsen, a 2015 first-round pick by Montreal, also has 20 points in 49 games with AHL Abbotsford this season.  He’s on a two-way contract worth $750K in the NHL and $250K in the minors and has a chance of remaining a restricted free agent if he plays in 16 of their final 17 games this season.  An early extension for Juulsen would obviously take that particular consideration off the table.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Hurricanes were without winger Andrei Svechnikov due to what the team listed as (Twitter link) a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old came into tonight’s action tied for second on Carolina in scoring with 23 goals and 32 assists in 63 games while he also leads the team in hits with 140.  There’s no word on how long Svechnikov will be out of the lineup but if it’s an extended absence, that could be a tough blow to a team that’s in a tight battle for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
  • The Golden Knights announced (Twitter link) that winger Keegan Kolesar is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old is fifth in the NHL in hits this season with 240 while chipping in with 16 points in 64 games.  Pavel Dorofeyev suited up in Kolesar’s absence against St. Louis after being recalled yesterday and picked up his first career point.
  • The Canadiens’ AHL affiliate announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed college free agent Louis Boudon to a tryout agreement. The 24-year-old wrapped up his college career at Lake Superior State this season, notching 24 points in 36 games.  Over his four seasons with the Lakers, Boudon had 39 goals and 75 assists in 139 contests.

Snapshots: Skills Results, International Games, Kastelic

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The All-Star festivities kicked off on Friday night with the annual Skills Competition which featured some staple events as well as some new outdoor ones.  Here is a listing of the winners for each event:

Tendy Tandem
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG/Juuse Saros, NSH (Central Division) – 13 points

Fastest Skater
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR – 13.699 seconds

NHL Pitch ‘n Puck
Nick Suzuki, MTL – 3

Splash Shot
Cale Makar/Mikko Rantanen, COL – 18.7 seconds

Hardest Shot
Elias Pettersson, VAN – 103.2 mph

Breakaway Challenge
Sidney Crosby, PIT/Alex Ovechkin, WSH – 40

Accuracy Shooting
Brock Nelson, NYI – 12.419 seconds

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • It appears that Australia will be where next season gets underway as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that it’s all but a lock that the NHL will have games there to kick things off. He suggests that Boston and Los Angeles are among the teams in the mix to go although the full details won’t be announced until everything is finalized.  Games were played in Prague to start this season while there were a pair of games in Tampere as well back in November.
  • While there were plenty of players who were sent to the minors during the All-Star break, at least one regular player won’t be getting recalled right away. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that the Senators’ plan for Mark Kastelic is to keep the forward in the minors once the schedule resumes.  The 23-year-old has played in 43 games for Ottawa this season but has been out with a back issue for the last couple of weeks and will get some time to get back into form with AHL Belleville before potentially coming back up later on.

NHL Announces 2023 All-Star Player Assignments

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The 2023 NHL All-Star Skills competition will take place tomorrow night, and today the league announced the full lineup of participants. Players from around the league will get to show off their unique abilities in several events, with each individual winner taking home $30,000.

Fastest Skater

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Chandler Stephenson, Vegas Golden Knights
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes

Breakaway Challenge

Roberto Luongo, Celebrity goaltender
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals*
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins*
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

*Ovechkin and Crosby are listed as “teaming up”

Tendy Tandem

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Splash Shot

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Accuracy Shooting

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Kevin Hayes, Philadelphia Flyers
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues

Pitch ’n Puck

Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

Hardest Shot

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

NHL Announces Initial All-Star Rosters

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According to a league release, the NHL has named the first eight selections to the four divisional All-Star teams for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.

The league names one player to represent each team at the game, a rule in standing since the league switched to a divisional format for its mid-season talent showcase. A public fan vote will decide the three remaining players per division next week.

Each division’s leader in points percentage after gameplay concludes on January 11 will determine coaches for these teams. The Boston Bruins have already clinched the best such number in the Atlantic at that time, meaning Jim Montgomery will be behind the bench for the star-studded Atlantic Division, arguably the league’s best contingent of talent.

The initial rosters for each division are as follows:

Atlantic Division

Boston: G Linus Ullmark (1st appearance)
Buffalo: C Tage Thompson (1st appearance)
Detroit: C Dylan Larkin (3rd appearance)
Florida: RW Matthew Tkachuk (2nd appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (2nd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (3rd appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (4th appearance)
Toronto: RW Mitch Marner (2nd appearance)

Metropolitan Division

Carolina: LW Andrei Svechnikov (1st appearance)
Columbus: LW Johnny Gaudreau (7th appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (2nd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Brock Nelson (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (1st appearance)
Philadelphia: C Kevin Hayes (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (5th appearance)
Washington: LW Alex Ovechkin (8th appearance)

Central Division

Arizona: LW Clayton Keller (3rd appearance)
Chicago: RD Seth Jones (4th appearance)
Colorado: RD Cale Makar (2nd appearance)
Dallas: LW Jason Robertson (1st appearance)
Minnesota: LW Kirill Kaprizov (2nd appearance)
Nashville: G Juuse Saros (2nd appearance)
St. Louis: RW Vladimir Tarasenko (injured) (4th appearance)
Winnipeg: LD Josh Morrissey (1st appearance)

Pacific Division

Anaheim: RW Troy Terry (2nd appearance)
Calgary: C Nazem Kadri (2nd appearance)
Edmonton: C Connor McDavid (6th appearance)
Los Angeles: LW Kevin Fiala (1st appearance)
San Jose: RD Erik Karlsson (7th appearance)
Seattle: C Matthew Beniers (1st appearance)
Vancouver: C Elias Pettersson (3rd appearance)
Vegas: G Logan Thompson (1st appearance)

The most important note on these rosters is obviously that of Tarasenko’s status. The 31-year-old is on injured reserve with a hand injury, and likely won’t be able to suit up. His replacement will be named shortly.

More to come…

Metropolitan Notes: Svechnikov, Thompson, Eller, Rust

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Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is a little lighter in the wallet today after the Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined him $5K for a kneeing incident on Philadelphia center Scott Laughton on Friday.  It is the maximum fine allowable in the CBA.  There was no penalty called when it occurred early in the second period while Svechnikov added a goal late in the third period.  It’s the first time the 21-year-old has been fined in his young career and the money will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Flyers have been hit hard by injuries to their centers and that list is going to grow again as head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters including Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link) that Nate Thompson appears to have a dislocated shoulder. He will be undergoing imaging to confirm that.  The veteran joins Kevin Hayes, Derick Brassard, and Patrick Brown as middlemen that are unavailable to Philadelphia due to injury.
  • Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette is hoping to have center Lars Eller back for tomorrow’s contest against Sunday, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. The veteran has missed six straight games while in COVID protocol but was able to participate in a full practice today.  With Nicklas Backstrom missing the entire season so far, Eller has been called upon to play a bigger role as he is averaging a career-high 17:18 per game in 15 contests while recording a goal and seven assists.
  • Penguins winger Bryan Rust was a late scratch from last night’s game due to a lower-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). His availability for tonight’s contest versus Montreal is not yet known.  The 29-year-old has been limited to just a dozen games this season due to injury but has still managed nine points while averaging over 18 minutes a night of playing time.

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