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East Notes: Hughes, Raanta, Lightning

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For Devils’ fans, the moment they have been waiting for is finally here, as defenseman Luke Hughes will make his playoff debut in Game Three against the Carolina Hurricanes. Unfortunately for the New Jersey Devils, this comes with some unfortunate news, as Hughes will be filling in for defenseman Ryan Graves, who is out with an upper-body injury.

The speed that Hughes brings to the table to New Jersey’s back end will undoubtedly be a benefit to a team that has been unable to put together much offense in the second round of the playoffs this year. When asked about what Hughes offers the Devils, head coach Lindy Ruff said, “We know he’s going to skate. He got a little taste at the end of the year. We feel the skating can help us. We’re excited to see him get in and play.”

Averaging over 16 minutes a night in his two games with New Jersey during the regular season, Hughes scored one goal and one assist. Spending most of his season finishing off his career at the University of Michigan, the 2021 fourth-overall pick put together the best season of his collegiate career, scoring 10 goals and 38 assists in 39 games, helping lead his team to the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four.

As the Devils find themselves down two games to none against the Metropolitan Division champion Hurricanes, New Jersey definitely has a tall task ahead of them. As they toe the line of playoff hockey desperation, Hughes will be an exciting player to add to the mix for the Devils.

Other notes:

  • Tom Gulitti of the NHL reports that Antti Raanta will travel with the Hurricanes to New Jersey. In Game Two, the netminder was unable to serve as backup to Frederik Andersen, due to an illness. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour still says the netminder isn’t feeling great but is feeling good enough to travel with the team for Game Three. In five starts so far in this year’s playoffs, Raanta holds a 3-2-0 record, carrying a .906 SV% and a 2.59 GAA.
  • In a recent article summarizing the end of the season for the Tampa Bay Lightning, writer Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times adds an interesting note about the Lightning’s pending unrestricted free agents heading into the offseason. Although already signing trade deadline acquisition Michael Eyssimont to a contract extension yesterday, it appears that General Manager Julien BriseBois has an interest in retaining all of the Lightning’s soon-to-be free agents, as he has reached out to all of their agents already. Players such as Alex Killorn, Corey Perry, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ian Cole, and Brian Elliott are all slated to hit the open market on July 1st.

NHL Notes: Zucker, Drury, Andersen

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Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live Sports is reporting that free agent winger Jason Zucker has made it clear that he wants to remain a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zucker was able to remain healthy this season for the first time since the 2018-19 season when he was a member of the Minnesota Wild. Zucker flourished in a top six role for the Penguins this year, which was a pleasant, albeit unexpected surprise. Zucker spent much of last summer as a possible trade or buyout candidate, but the Penguins never found a suitor for the California native and elected to hang onto him.

Zucker rewarded Pittsburgh with his best season as a Penguin. He tallied 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games while playing on a second line with Evgeni Malkin. Zucker was also one of the few Penguins who showed an emotional pulse as the team was free falling out of a playoff position in the dying weeks of the regular season. There were many nights in which Pittsburgh appeared to be sleepwalking through the game only to be awakened by a huge hit by the small forward.

Zucker will have suitors and could very well fetch a contract that exceeds his previous cap hit of $5.5MM. Zucker is just 31 years old, and while injuries are certainly a concern given his track record, the lack of game breaking forwards on the free agent market should allow Zucker to cash in on his bounce back season.

In other notes from around the NHL:

  • Chip Alexander of Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that Rod Brind’Amour said that Jack Drury is feeling better today. This comes on the heels of Drury leaving game four yesterday after taking a hard hit into the boards in the first period. The center is in the midst of a 14-game goalless drought and played just 1:20 in the Hurricanes 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Drury had just eight points in 38 games in the regular season, but with the Hurricanes battling through various injuries the 23-year-old played over 15 minutes in both games two and three of Carolina’s first round series.
  • Alexander also tweeted that Brind’Amour said goaltender Frederik Andersen is good to go for the Carolina Hurricanes. Andersen will likely be relegated to a backup role as Antti Raanta has backstopped the Hurricanes to a 3-1 series lead against the Islanders. Raanta has posted a solid .915 save percentage for Carolina after going 19-3-3 in the regular season. While it seems likely that Andersen won’t see action until the second round, he could get into a game should Raanta stumble in any of the next few games.

Carolina Hurricanes Reassign Pyotr Kochetkov

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The Carolina Hurricanes are returning to a Frederik Andersen–Antti Raanta tandem, with the latter coming back from his latest injury in the next few days. The team has reassigned Pyotr Kochetkov to the AHL today after some strong performances in recent weeks.

Kochetkov, 23, has played in 24 games for the Hurricanes this season, effectively making a three-way split of the Carolina playing time. Andersen has logged the most with 29, while veteran Raanta has appeared in 23 games. Among the three, the young Kotchetkov has the best save percentage at .909, and more complex metrics support his strong play.

That will make for some interesting decisions come playoff time, especially if Raanta struggles at all down the stretch. The 33-year-old has never been able to stay healthy for long, and has a .907 save percentage on the year. That has resulted in just two regulation losses because of how strong Carolina’s depth is at other positions, but it doesn’t lend itself to much confidence when the season is on the line.

There is still some inconsistency in Kochetkov’s game, but he showed again over the weekend that he can play at a high level. Facing 44 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs (including a season-high 15 from Auston Matthews), the young netminder allowed just three goals to secure the win. With Andersen and Raanta both scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the summer, and Kochetkov already signed to a four-year, $8MM extension, his time is coming in Carolina.

Injury Notes: Fabbri, Carlson, Hurricanes

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More than just Detroit Red Wings fans cringed when they saw Robby Fabbri limp off the ice last night with a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old has been through multiple major knee surgeries in his career, but keeps coming back and showing that he can contribute at the NHL level on reconstructed ACLs.

When he missed practice today, it seemed like it might be bad news for the talented winger, but head coach Derek Lalonde told reporters that Fabbri is only out day-to-day. The Red Wings will be cautious for obvious reasons, but the team is optimistic that he avoided a serious injury.

  • John Carlson was on the ice again today for the Washington Capitals, as he continues to recover from the head injury he suffered earlier this season. Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports that the defenseman joined the scratches’ skate, albeit in a non-contact sweater. A more significant update is still expected in the next few days.
  • It’s finger-crossing days for the Carolina Hurricanes, who will have to hope their goaltending depth will stay healthy through a playoff run this time. Today, head coach Rod Brind’Amour explained that the team is hopeful the recent injury to Antti Raanta is “not too serious” but couldn’t give a more specific timeline. Jalen Chatfield, meanwhile, is getting evaluated today and is expected to miss some time.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Pyotr Kochetkov On Emergency Basis

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The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has been recalled on an emergency basis. The move comes as Antti Raanta left last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury.

The Hurricanes play games tomorrow night, Saturday, and Sunday, so one would think that if Raanta isn’t ready to play in those games, Kochetkov could get to make his 19th NHL start of the season thanks to this recall.

The 23-year-old Kochetkov last played in the NHL in the middle of January, when he stopped 29 of 32 shots in a shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks. In the final stretch of 2022, Kochetkov managed to put together some stellar performances, including back-to-back shutouts against the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders in December. His stellar play in December 2022 earned him NHL Rookie of the Month honors.

More recently, Kochetkov has made headlines in the AHL by scoring a rare goalie goal only to be ejected from the game moments later.

Overall, Kochetkov has had a strong season. He’s posted a 10-4-5 record in the NHL with a .913 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against-average, and a 13-5-2 record, 2.39 goals-against-average and .916 save percentage in the AHL.

Kochetkov’s stellar performance this year comes with added benefit to the Hurricanes, as they already have him locked into a contract extension that runs through the 2026-27 season. That deal comes at a $2MM AAV, meaning if Kochetkov can become at the very least a tandem goalie in Carolina (if not the quality starter he has looked like for short bursts in his brief NHL career) that contract could represent a major bargain for the Hurricanes.

But putting aside that long-term thinking, it’s likely that with this recall, Kochetkov will have another NHL start to prepare for. With the Hurricanes battling the New Jersey Devils for supremacy in the Metropolitan Division, Carolina has to be thankful that they have a goalie like Kochetkov as their organization’s number-three netminder.

Carolina Hurricanes Reassign Pyotr Kochetkov

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With all three goaltenders healthy, the Carolina Hurricanes had to make a decision. Since Pyotr Kochetkov is still waiver-exempt, he’s the one on the way out. The young netminder has been reassigned to the minor leagues, despite his strong performance so far this year.

This certainly won’t make many Hurricanes fans happy, as of the three – Kochetkov, Antti Raanta, and Frederik Andersen – there has been only one consistent presence. Andersen has a .903 save percentage in just ten appearances, while Raanta has an .894 despite having one of the strongest defensive teams in the league playing ahead of him.

Kochetkov, 23, has a .913 through 19 games, losing just four of them in regulation. That earned him a four-year extension a few months ago, one that locks him into a roster spot in the future.

Not yet, though, as he now heads back to the Chicago Wolves for the time being. The club will go with an Andersen-Raanta tandem.

If there’s a silver lining for Kochetkov fans, it’s that those veteran goaltenders have never really shown the ability to stay healthy for long. Their combined history suggests that the young netminder will be back up before long, and could very well be the starting goaltender again by the time the playoffs roll around.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Laine, Bear

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Filip Forsberg leading the way. The Nashville Predators winger scored five goals and seven points in three games, extending his lead in the team scoring race. Forsberg now has 14 goals and 32 points in 35 games, not quite the same pace he set last season when looking for a new contract. Even with a Forsberg hat trick on New Year’s Eve, the Predators failed to secure two points against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Second and third went to Erik Karlsson and Antti Raanta, who each had outstanding weeks. Karlsson had seven assists in four games and now leads the entire NHL in that category with 40 through his first 39 games. The San Jose Sharks defenseman is having an incredible bounce-back campaign and will once again be a Norris candidate thanks to a huge point total. Raanta, meanwhile, stopped 67 of 71 shots across three wins, keeping the Carolina Hurricanes on their 11-game streak.

  • Patrik Laine is out of COVID protocol and back with the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. The star ginger will be back in the lineup tomorrow and is expected to skate with Kent Johnson and Jonny Gaudreau on the top line. Laine’s season has been constantly interrupted by injury and illness, resulting in just 20 games played so far. He has nine goals and 16 points in those appearances.
  • Portzline adds that Nick Blankenburg, who has been out since November, will travel with the club for their game against the Ottawa Senators but is not expected to play. The 24-year-old was averaging more than 18 minutes a night in his seven appearances before going down to a broken ankle.
  • Now that the calendar has been turned to 2023, players on one-year deals are eligible to sign extensions as Joe Pavelski did yesterday. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Ethan Bear and the Vancouver Canucks are expected to talk this week about a potential deal, though there is no guarantee a contract is signed so quickly. Bear has played well for the Canucks since they acquired him at the end of October from the Carolina Hurricanes, and is currently scheduled to become a restricted free agent when his one-year, $2.2MM deal expires.

East Notes: Red Wings, Raanta, Blue Jackets

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Robby Fabbri is nearing a return for the Red Wings and there’s more help on the horizon as well as head coach Derek Lalonde told reporters, including MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link) that wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Zadina are on the same timeframe for a return and should be back in the next eight to ten days.  Bertuzzi has missed the last month after undergoing wrist surgery and while he’s off to a slow start this season, he had a career-high 62 points in 2021-22.  Meanwhile, Zadina has missed more than seven weeks with a lower-body injury.  With those two and Fabbri close to coming back, Detroit’s forward group is about to get a lot deeper in the very near future as they look to hang around the Wild Card battle.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • While Carolina’s original intention might have been to send Pyotr Kochetkov back to the minors when Frederik Andersen returns from his injury, his play has made that much more difficult. Accordingly, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News opines that Antti Raanta might be the odd one out between the pipes.  He has a 2.53 GAA with a .900 SV% in 14 starts this season, a decent return on a $2.25MM AAV.  While the Hurricanes likely wouldn’t be able to command a sizable return for Raanta’s services, he could be a useful pickup for a team looking for a short-term option between the pipes.
  • The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Daniil Tarasov suffered an upper-body injury in practice on Friday. The 23-year-old was likely to be sent to the minors soon with Elvis Merzlikins clearing COVID protocol earlier this week but this will now delay that for at least a few days as Tarasov is listed as day-to-day.  He has played in a dozen games with Columbus this season, recording a 3.40 GAA with a .907 SV%.
  • Still with the Blue Jackets, defenseman Nick Blankenburg has resumed skating as he works his way back from a broken ankle, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has been out for the last seven weeks due to the injury and there remains no timetable for his return.  Blankenburg has three points in seven games so far this season.

Antti Raanta Dealing With MCL Sprain

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Both of the goaltenders for the Carolina Hurricanes are now dealing with MCL injuries. Speaking to reporters today in his end-of-season press availability, Antti Raanta explained that it was an MCL sprain that he suffered in game seven against the New York Rangers, forcing him out of the net. He’s been given a six to eight-week recovery timeline, though that obviously leaves him with plenty of room before the start of training camp.

He joins Frederik Andersen on the shelf, who revealed that he tore his MCL late in the season. Andersen appeared to be close to a return by the time the Hurricanes were eliminated but will now have all offseason to rehab the injury more slowly.

Injuries have always been the risk with Raanta and to a lesser (but still serious) extent Andersen. It is why so many were cautious with their optimistic views about the Hurricanes overall, despite the strong performances that both netminders were giving them all season. The pair split the Jennings Trophy as the primary goaltenders for the club with the lowest goals-against average of the year.

Still, the Hurricanes needed to turn to Pyotr Kochetkov with their season on the line, a disappointing feeling after such a successful campaign to that point. Andersen and Raanta are both signed through next season–but only next season–meaning there also might have to be a succession plan in place for someone like Kochetkov to take over.

Until they make a change, it’ll be two goaltenders coming off knee injuries in the crease for them in 2022-23.

Injury Notes: Andersen, Point, Kuemper

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The Carolina Hurricanes were meeting with the media for the final time this season as they cleaned out their lockers, and Frederik Andersen finally answered some questions about the mysterious injury that kept him out of the playoffs. The veteran goaltender revealed that he tore his MCL on April 16, his last appearance of the season and a game in which he allowed seven goals on 33 shots.

With Andersen out, the Hurricanes were forced to use Antti Raanta for the entire playoff run, something that he had never done before. While he had some incredible moments, his performance dropped off at the end of the second round, when he was pulled in consecutive games against the New York Rangers. It was nearly the exact same situation that the Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in with Andersen a year ago, when he was unable to play down the stretch and in the playoffs due to a mysterious lower-body injury. The 32-year-old netminder has one year left on his deal that carries a $4.5MM cap hit.

  • There was an interesting sight today just after the Tampa Bay Lightning left the ice following morning skate, as reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic spotted Brayden Point doing drills with assistant coach Jeff Halpern. There’s no updated timeline for Point’s return after he left game seven against the Maple Leafs in the first round. The 26-year-old center has led the Lightning in goals during each of the Stanley Cup runs and would be a huge boost if he can re-enter the lineup at some point.
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wouldn’t give up any details on the upper-body injury that took Darcy Kuemper out of the game last night, and only said “we’ll see” if the veteran goaltender is ready to go in game two. As Mike Chambers of the Denver Post relays, Bednar refuses to get into the injury at this point in the playoffs. He did indicate the team has full confidence in Pavel Francouz, who has now been forced into game action in two of the three Colorado series.

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