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Ben Meyers

Colorado Avalanche Recall Ben Meyers, Brad Hunt

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With Erik Johnson moving to injured reserve, the Colorado Avalanche have recalled Ben Meyers and Brad Hunt to give them a little more depth. The club had been carrying barely enough players to dress a full lineup and went with only 11 forwards over the weekend (plus Kurtis MacDermid, who plays both defense and forward).

Meyers, 24, has played in 28 games for the Avalanche this season but can’t seem to find his way onto the scoresheet. He has just one goal and has yet to record an assist in the NHL. During his time in the minor leagues, he had eight points in 14 games for the Colorado Eagles. The undrafted college free agent is still getting his feet wet in professional hockey and will get another chance with the Avalanche.

Hunt, meanwhile, has played 27 games for the Avalanche this season and 22 more for the Eagles, playing in the minor leagues for the first time since 2016-17. The depth defender can rack up points at will in the AHL, and has six on the year with the Avalanche so far. Now 34, he certainly isn’t the long-term answer for Colorado, but Hunt is a reliable veteran call-up that can play games without much risk.

Johnson suffered a lower-body injury over the weekend but no timeline has been given for his return yet.

Colorado Avalanche Re-Assign Ben Meyers

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The Colorado Avalanche have assigned former University of Minnesota standout Ben Meyers to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, according to a tweet Saturday evening.

The move allows Meyers to get some games in with the Eagles over the NHL All-Star break after filling in as an injury substitute for the Avalanche for most of the season. In the minors, he has a goal and four assists in 10 games.

It hasn’t been the smoothest of transitions for Meyers, who was a Hobey Baker finalist last season and represented the United States at the Olympics and World Championships. He has just one point, a goal, in 27 games with the Avalanche, and he’s seen very few minutes under head coach Jared Bednar.

The 24-year-old could very well gain some confidence with more playing time in the minors, which would be highly beneficial for Colorado’s bottom six. They recently moved to fortify it, re-acquiring Matt Nieto in a trade with the San Jose Sharks.

Colorado plays next on February 7, a road matchup in Pittsburgh.

Colorado Avalanche Make Several Roster Moves

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December 8: The Avalanche announced this afternoon that Ranta has been reassigned to the AHL. No other corresponding move was announced. The forward played 11:50 in last night’s loss to the Bruins, getting a shot off but not recording a point.

December 7: With Nathan MacKinnon added to the list of injuries for the Colorado Avalanche, the team has made several transactions today to reshape the roster. Sampo Ranta, Ben Meyers, Cal Burke, and Andreas Englund have all been recalled. Alex Galchenyuk, who cleared waivers yesterday, has been loaned to the AHL.

Ranta has played in 16 total games for the Avalanche over the last three seasons but is still looking for his first NHL point. The 22-year-old forward was a third-round pick in 2018 and has received just a handful of minutes in most of his appearances, something that could change now that the team is so banged up. MacKinnon joins nearly a dozen other regulars that are out of the lineup at the moment.

Meyers, meanwhile, is still in his first full season of professional hockey after signing with the Avalanche last spring. The 24-year-old undrafted forward was a star at the University of Minnesota, and made his NHL debut down the stretch, scoring one goal in five games. He’s been up with the big club for three appearances this year, recording another goal. A responsible two-way player in college, he could be asked to play the middle of the ice, depending on how the lineup card shakes out.

Burke, 25, would be making his NHL debut should he enter the lineup, after signing with the club in 2021. He too was an undrafted college free agent, and has 11 points in 21 games for the Colorado Eagles this season. The team appears to be going with older, more polished two-way players to fill out the bottom of the roster instead of turning to prospects with higher upside like Oskar Olausson.

Englund was always going to be recalled, given the team’s lack of defensive options at the moment. With Josh Manson, Kurtis MacDermid, and Bowen Byram all out, the team had just five defensemen on the roster going into today.

Unfortunately, the team lost Jayson Megna on waivers to the Anaheim Ducks yesterday, forcing them into an additional recall. The depth chart is being tested, as they now have just six forwards assigned to the AHL that are under NHL contracts.

West Notes: Mrazek, Nieto, Meyers

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While Chicago was forced to convert Dylan Wells’ minor league agreement to an NHL deal earlier today, it seems like he won’t be around for long.  Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that Petr Mrazek might be a week away from returning to the lineup and it’s a light rest of the week for the Blackhawks.  He has been dealing with a groin injury for the last couple of weeks but with Alex Stalock and Arvid Soderblom both doing alright, there was no immediate need to try to rush him back and risk a recurrence which has plagued him in the past.  However, Mrazek indicated that the injury wasn’t as bad as last season which certainly is a good sign as he looks to re-establish himself after a tough showing with Toronto last year.

More from the West:

  • With the Sharks believed to be open to moving just about anyone, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News examines a handful of veterans that could be on the move. One candidate that might fly under the radar is winger Matt Nieto.  The soon-to-be 30-year-old has four points in 12 games so far this season while holding his own in a top-six role.  He wouldn’t have that role on a contender but a veteran making just $800K that can move up and down the lineup could be intriguing to some cap-strapped teams.  Accordingly, Pashelka posits that San Jose could do a little better than the fifth-rounder they received for Andrew Cogliano who was moved at the deadline last season.
  • The Avalanche sent Ben Meyers down to the minors a couple of weeks ago to get some playing time after having a very limited role with the big club earlier in the season. However, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays (Twitter link), the 23-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in his second game with the Eagles.  He’s hoping to get back on the ice within a week but this certainly isn’t helping his development in his first full professional season.

Lukas Sedlak Placed On Waivers; Anders Bjork Clears

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Despite no clear timeline on Gabriel Landeskog and Darren Helm, the Colorado Avalanche appear to be clearing some room on the roster. The team has placed Lukas Sedlak on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Anders Bjork of the Buffalo Sabres has cleared and will be assigned to the AHL.

Sedlak, 29, has played in all three of the team’s games so far this season, seeing fewer than nine minutes in each. During last night’s match against the Minnesota wild, he played just nine shifts and lost all four of the faceoffs he took. Helm, who would normally slot into that fourth-line center role, was on the ice today at Colorado’s option skate but was still wearing a non-contact sweater and does not appear ready to return at this point.

While they don’t need to recall someone else now that they are headed home from a road trip, the team is already at a roster of 20, meaning they can’t re-assign Sedlak without calling someone else up or activating one of their injured players. That player might be Jacob MacDonald, who has been skating as a forward with the club for the last few days after starting the year on season-opening injured reserve.

Sedlak meanwhile is an interesting waiver case, given his recent history. The sixth-round pick has starred in the KHL the last three seasons, and signed a one-year, two-way contract to return to North America this summer. His deal includes a massive $500K AHL salary, meaning he will still be making a good buck if he ends up playing with the Colorado Eagles.

The Avalanche have also sent Ben Meyers to the minor leagues, another sign that there may be changes coming to the fourth line. Meyers does not require waivers and can be recalled as soon as Sedlak is sent down, if needed.

USA Hockey Announces Roster For 2022 World Championship

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The U.S. roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championship has been set, a group that includes both NHL stars and prospects waiting for their first opportunity. The event will be held later this month in Helsinki, Finland, and will see the U.S. squad try to improve from their third-place finish a year ago.

The full roster:

G Jon Gillies
G Strauss Mann
G Alex Nedeljkovic

D Nick Blankenburg
D Jordan Harris
D Luke Hughes
D Caleb Jones
D Seth Jones
D Jaycob Megna
D Andrew Peeke
D Nate Schmidt

F Riley Barber
F Kieffer Bellows
F Thomas Bordeleau
F Sasha Chmelevski
F Sean Farrell
F Alex Galchenyuk
F Adam Gaudette
F John Hayden
F Sam Lafferty
F Vinni Lettieri
F Karson Kuhlman
F Ben Meyers
F Austin Watson

One of the most interesting names to watch will be Mann, who represented his country at the Olympics earlier this year and recently signed an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. The 23-year-old netminder has had quite an odd path to this point, including going undrafted, playing three years at the University of Michigan, and then going to play in Sweden this season.

It will certainly be some mixed emotions for Canadian fans from the Montreal area, given how this squad includes two of the highly-touted Canadiens prospects in Harris and Farrell. The former signed and made his debut at the end of the year, while the latter just completed an outstanding rookie season at Harvard. Farrell was also a part of the U.S. Olympic squad this year, and scored three goals and six points in four games on the international stage.

The U.S. will kick things off on May 13 against Latvia.

Tristan Broz, Cruz Lucius Leaving University Of Minnesota

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What is happening in Minneapolis? Fresh off of a Frozen Four appearance, the University of Minnesota is having a nightmare offseason – and the hits continue. Freshman Tristan Broz (PIT), and 2021 second-round pick, has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after just one year, while incoming freshman Cruz Lucius, a promising 2022 draft-eligible prospect, has de-committed and will play elsewhere next season.

Lucius follows older brother Chaz Lucius out of town; after previously committing to return to the Gophers next season, the 2021 first-rounder reversed course last week and signed his entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Chaz joined Ben Meyers (COL)and Blake McLaughlin (ANA) in leaving Minnesota for the pros, but NHL departures are to be expected for such a talented team. The real shock comes in the transfer market, as Broz makes it seven players to enter the portal since the end of the season. That list includes Jack Perbix (ANA), Ben Brinkman (DAL), and Grant Cruikshank, who had just transferred to Minnesota for this past season. Add in the younger Lucius’ de-commitment and the Gophers are bleeding talent.

Fortunately for the program, there is still plenty of talent to go around. Ryan Johnson (BUF) is expected to return for his senior year to lead a roster that (for now) is set to return Matthew Knies (TOR), Jackson LaCombe (ANA), Sammy Walker (TBL), Bryce Brodzinski (PHI), Rhett Pitlick (MTL), Aaron Huglen (BUF), Mike Koster (TOR), and Brock Faber (LAK). They also add an impressive recruiting class that includes Cal Thomas (ARI) and 2022 first round hopefuls Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Ryan Chesley. 

The Gophers are also not the only programs falling victim to the transfer portal. The May 1st deadline to enter the portal and be eligible to play next season has now passed, but just beforehand two other NHL prospects hit the transfer market. Ryder Donovan (VGK) has decided to move on from Wisconsin, while John Fusco (TOR) has opted to leave Harvard.

Central Notes: Leddy, Wild, Meyers

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There was good news and bad news today for the St. Louis Blues. The good news was the team clinched a playoff spot with a 6-5 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild. The bad news was defenseman Nick Leddy taking a high stick near his eye, causing him to leave the game. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford spoke to Blues’ Head Coach Craig Berube, who said that the incident had blurred Leddy’s vision and he is not expected to play tomorrow against the Nashville Predators.

With the Blues clinching today, the need to have Leddy in the lineup is not so pressing, however the team paid a hefty price to acquire the defenseman, who is rich with playoff experience, to use down the stretch and in the playoffs. Berube did not appear to be overly concerned about this injury, however any time an injury involving a player’s vision comes into question, it can be scary, not only for their playing career, but their life away from the rink too.

  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo provided several updates on the Minnesota Wild, per Head Coach Dean Evason. Most notably, Tyson Jost, who took a big hit from Pavel Buchnevich earlier today, will not play tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks for precautionary reasons. Evason also notes that defenseman Jon Merrill is still out of the lineup going forward, having not played since March 31st with an upper-body injury. In more positive news for the Wild, Evason says that forward Jordan Greenway has started skating and star defenseman Mathew Dumba is getting closer to return as well.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced that forward Ben Meyers will make his NHL debut tonight as the Avalanche take on the Carolina Hurricanes at home. Colorado signed the undrafted college free agent earlier this week after his season at the University of Minnesota had come to an end at the hands of Minnesota State. A finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, Meyers figures to provide solid scoring depth for a deep, talented Avalanche team as they head into the playoffs. Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said he plans to have Meyers center Andrew Cogliano and Logan O’Connor in tonight’s game.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Ben Meyers

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Arguably the top college free agent from this year’s crop was Minnesota captain Ben Meyers, and he has decided on where he’ll start his professional career. The Hobey Baker finalist has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche which begins immediately, meaning he is eligible to play down the stretch but not in this year’s playoffs. The deal has a cap hit of $912,500, and the breakdown, per CapFriendly, is as follows:

2021-22: $807,500 base, $92,500 SB, $25,000 GP bonus
2022-23: $832,5000 base, $92,5000 SB, $212,500 Schedule ’A’ bonus

Burning the first year of the contract is an obvious selling point for the 23-year-old Meyers, who will become a restricted free agent following the 2022-23 season. Undrafted, he spent three years with the Golden Gophers, becoming one of the most reliable offensive players in the country. In 34 games this season he racked up 17 goals and 41 points, while also being selected to participate in the Olympics for Team USA. On the international stage he was a clear standout, scoring two goals and four points in four games.

Along with Wyatt Aamodt, who signed with the Avalanche earlier this week, Colorado has now brought in two of the captains from this year’s Frozen Four. While Aamodt is more of a depth play, Meyers is a legitimate NHL option right away and was being courted by nearly the entire league. In fact, he could actually see action in the next few weeks despite not being eligible for the playoffs. Colorado has ten games left in the regular season and could slot Meyers into the lineup to help them chase down the Presidents’ Trophy, which brings guaranteed home ice throughout the postseason.

While he wouldn’t be considered a power forward exactly, standing 5’11” and weighing 194-lbs, Meyers is certainly not a perimeter player. Willing to fight through traffic, play in front of the net, and battle in the corners, he’s exactly the kind of player that quickly becomes a fan favorite. That’s exactly what happened in Minnesota, where the Delano native became an alternate captain as a sophomore and one of the most beloved players at the top program by his junior year.

A top-three finish for the Hobey Baker this season capped off an incredible year, though the Gophers would eventually fall to Aamodt and the Minnesota State  Mavericks before reaching the NCAA Championship game. With NHL interest likely at an all-time high, it makes sense for him to capitalize on the market and sign with a top NHL team. The Avalanche, of course, have a whole litany of pending unrestricted free agents upfront and could have a number of spots open next season. Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Valeri Nichushkin, Darren Helm, Nico Sturm, and Andrew Cogliano are all set to hit the open market this summer, leaving an opportunity for a player like Meyers to grab a full-time spot.

Snapshots: Meyers, Penguins, Fehr

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College free agent center Ben Meyers is expected to begin interviewing with NHL teams on Sunday, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 23-year-old is widely viewed as the top player in this year’s NCAA free agent class and to that end, Russo notes more than two dozen teams are interested in signing Meyers with his hometown team in Minnesota certainly among them.  Meyers, who was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, had 17 goals and 24 assists in 34 games for the Golden Gophers this season plus four points in four contests in the Olympics.  He’s expected to sign a two-year, entry-level deal that will begin this season although he will not be eligible to play in the playoffs if he signs with a team that’s heading for the postseason.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Penguins may opt to keep their better prospects in the minors instead of using them to replace injured players over the final few weeks of the season, suggests Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL finds themselves in a close battle for a playoff spot (or play-in position, potentially) and the developmental value of having those prospects in a close race could be more beneficial than sprinkling them into the NHL lineup on a Pittsburgh team that is comfortably in a playoff spot and is simply playing for positioning.
  • Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli examines the future of NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr. He has officially been at the head of the association since December of 2010 and isn’t on a fixed-term contract; the post is his until he chooses to leave or is asked to.  Fehr himself indicated that a plan to transition to his successor “won’t be soon” but Seravalli suggests there is a level of discontentment that could necessitate a change before Fehr wants to step aside.

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