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Brendan Gaunce

Three Columbus Blue Jackets Injured, Brendan Gaunce Recalled

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced a flurry of injury updates today, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. Forward Jakub Voracek is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, Sean Kuraly is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and Patrik Laine is day-to-day with an illness. Forward Brendan Gaunce was also recalled from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, per a team release.

Voracek missed the second game of Columbus’ Global Series matchups in Finland last week with the injury. It’s a huge blow to their depth scoring if he’s out long-term, as he was tied for second in scoring on the team with six points in 11 games.

Kuraly sustained his upper-body injury in the second Global Series game, leaving in the second period after playing 8:09. He had two goals and two assists through 12 games and was tied for the worst +/- rating on the team (-8).

Laine’s illness is hopefully short-term, as he’s only been present for half of the Blue Jackets’ season thus far with an elbow injury. The Finnish winger has scored twice and is averaging nearly 20 minutes a game.

Gaunce ends up on the active roster as the only healthy extra. The AHL veteran was off to a hot start in Cleveland, registering 11 points through 10 games.

Waivers: 10/04/22

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After all of the players from yesterday cleared, there is a new batch of talent on waivers today. Placement here is usually indicative of a training camp cut, though not necessarily. It gives teams the option to send a player to the minor leagues, but that doesn’t have to happen right away. Until a player spends 30 days on the active roster or plays in ten regular season games, they won’t have to clear waivers again.

Here are the players on waivers today:

Boston Bruins

Oskar Steen
Nick Wolff
Connor Carrick

Buffalo Sabres

Sean Malone

Chicago Blackhawks

Luke Philp
Nicolas Beaudin
Dylan Sikura
Brett Seney

Columbus Blue Jackets

Brendan Gaunce

Minnesota Wild

Zane McIntyre

Montreal Canadiens

Alex Belzile
Anthony Richard
Mitchell Stephens

New Jersey Devils

Tyler Wotherspoon
Robbie Russo
Joseph Gambardella
Jeremy Groleau

Pittsburgh Penguins

Taylor Fedun

Vancouver Canucks

Collin Delia
John Stevens
Noah Juulsen
Brady Keeper
Guillaume Brisebois

Blue Jackets Re-Sign Brendan Gaunce

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After re-signing Liam Foudy on Friday, the Blue Jackets have taken care of another one of their pending free agents today as they announced the signing of center Brendan Gaunce to a two-year, two-way contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team but Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that he’ll make $750K in the NHL next season and $450K in the minors while in 2023-24, his NHL salary goes up slightly to $775K while the minor league portion remains $450K.  There is a guaranteed payout of $475K each season.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen released the following statement about the 28-year-old:

Brendan is a competitive forward with good size who can play both the center and wing. He played well last season and brings versatility and depth to our forward group.

Gaunce spent the 2020-21 season in Sweden before deciding to return to North America last season where he inked a two-way deal with Columbus.  He split this season between Columbus and AHL Cleveland where, as Kekalainen alluded to, he spent time both down the middle and on the wing.  With the Blue Jackets, he suited up in 30 games, recording five goals and two assists while averaging just over eight minutes per game.  In the minors, Gaunce was considerably more productive, picking up 16 goals and 12 helpers in 39 contests.

Gaunce is likely to play a similar role with Columbus for these next two seasons.  He isn’t much of a risk of being claimed off waivers having cleared three times in the past and could play a key role with the Monsters at times.  With an AAV of just over $762K, he won’t cost much to keep around at the end of the roster where his versatility will certainly be useful.

Kekalainen still has a lot of work to do this summer as the Blue Jackets still have 15 players whose contracts are set to expire next month, headlined by pending restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Adam Boqvist.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Eichel, Blue Jackets

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The NHL has released the Three Stars for last week, and because that included the All-Star game, Claude Giroux has been given the top honors. The Philadelphia Flyers captain did record four points in two games before heading to Las Vegas, where he won the All-Star MVP. The speculation over whether Giroux stays in Philadelphia through the trade deadline continues, with the veteran forward explaining that there is still a lot of time left before those decisions need to be made.

Second and third place went to two players who weren’t at the event, as Mitch Marner and Mason Marchment took home second and third respectively. The Toronto Maple Leafs star had seven points in the two games before the break, scoring three more goals to keep his streak alive. While Marner isn’t known as a goal scorer, he now has tallied in each of his last six games and 14 on the year. Marchment, meanwhile, had a six-point effort on the last day of January, taking him to 23 points in 22 games this season. An undrafted forward that the Maple Leafs then Florida Panthers developed, the 6’4″ Marchment has learned to impact the game in almost every capacity.

  • Jack Eichel was on the ice at Vegas Golden Knights practice today and he was no longer wearing a non-contact jersey according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. The injured forward still wasn’t practicing in the top-12, skating on a reserve line with Nolan Patrick and Michael Amadio, but it’s a good sign that he could be back in the coming days. Head coach Pete DeBoer suggested as much at the All-Star game, exciting Golden Knights fans and sending the rumor mill swirling again with how the team will clear the cap space.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have moved Jake Bean, Eric Robinson, and Alexandre Texier to injured reserve, recalling Brendan Gaunce from the AHL under emergency conditions. All three players are dealing with long-term injuries that were announced over the past few weeks and aren’t expected back for a little while. The placements on IR are all retroactive as well–Bean to January 30, Robinson to January 31, and Texier to January 26.

21 Players Clear Waivers

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Oct 5: The Minnesota Wild claimed Pitlick from the Nashville Predators, but the other 21 players have cleared and can now be assigned to the minor leagues if necessary.

Oct 4: The waiver list for October 4 is out, and it includes another 22 players that have been cut from their respective NHL teams. The full list is as follows:

Alexander True (SEA)
Carsen Twarynski (SEA)
Pheonix Copley (WSH)
Matt Luff (NSH)
Cole Smith (NSH)
Rem Pitlick (NSH)
Matt Tennyson (NSH)
Frederic Allard (NSH)
Jordan Gross (COL)
Austin Poganski (WPG)
Luke Johnson (WPG)
Mikey Eyssimont (WPG)
Michael Carcone (ARI)
Tyler Sikura (CBJ)
Brendan Gaunce (CBJ)
Jean-Francois Berube (CBJ)
Gavin Bayreuther (CBJ)
Nicholas Caamano (DAL)
John Stevens (VAN)
Devante Stephens (VAN)
Spencer Martin (VAN)
Sheldon Rempal (VAN)

There are several names on this list that could be claimed, including both players from the Seattle Kraken. The pair of forwards were each part of the team’s expansion draft, selected from the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers respectively. While both seemed like odd decisions at the time, this may have been the plan all along; acquire some young players who are capable of playing in the NHL, but who could also slip through waivers before the season begins in order to have some injury insurance in the minor leagues.

Other names, like Copley, could potentially be targeted as an extra goaltender by those clubs currently dealing with some injuries in net.

Brendan Gaunce Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed free agent forward Brendan Gaunce to a one-year, two-way contract. Gaunce spent last season in Sweden playing for Vaxjo HC, winning the SHL title. CapFriendly reports that it’s worth $750,000 at the NHL level and $350,000 at the AHL level, with $400,000 guaranteed across the deal.

The 27-year-old was selected 26th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2012 but failed to ever translate his minor league offense to the NHL. The 6’2″ center has just 16 points in 118 career NHL games, despite routinely being a top-line player in the AHL. In 2020-21, he helped Vaxjo to a league championship with 19 points in 30 games, but it back in North America to continue his career.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t figure to be many opportunities at the NHL level for a player like Gaunce unless the Blue Jackets make several other moves. The team has 12 forwards already on one-way contracts, with other names like Emil Bemstrom, Liam Foudy, and Yegor Chinakhov likely to contribute on their entry-level deals.

If it is destined to be a season in the minor leagues again, he’ll have to clear waivers at some point.

Brendan Gaunce Signs With Vaxjo Lakers

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After a long off-season waiting for an NHL opportunity, forward Brendan Gaunce will have to settle for a season overseas. The 26-year-old forward has signed with the SHL’s Vaxjo Lakers, the team announced. The release quoted Gaunce as stating that his motivation to join the Lakers, who are currently third in the SHL, was the chance to win a Swedish championship, which of course wouldn’t hurt his chances of finding his way back to the NHL next year.

Gaunce may have only played in one NHL game in 2019-20, but the lack of NHL interest is still somewhat surprising. After all, Gaunce was playing for the President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, a club with more than enough depth and talent that didn’t need the veteran forward’s services. Gaunce did record a point in his lone appearance with Boston though and added 37 points in 52 AHL games. He had a similarly impressive output in the minors in 2018-19 and again scored at a point-per-game pace in limited action with the Vancouver Canucks. The 2012 first round pick played in 114 games with Vancouver in the three seasons prior.

A two-way power forward with equally strong offensive and defensive instincts, Gaunce may not have produced points as a regular in the NHL, but has been an effective scorer in the AHL and in his limited NHL opportunities over the past two years. Whereas he likely deserved another shot in the NHL, instead he will head to Sweden where the talent level is arguably even lower than it is in the AHL. Joining Vaxjo, Gaunce will be playing alongside fellow NHL veterans like Christian Folin, Joel Persson, and Viktor Fasth and NHL prospects like Jack Drury and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson. Gaunce’s addition to an already talented roster could boost the Lakers up to the SHL’s top spot in the standings and makes them a favorite to win the title this season.

Snapshots: Rattie, Gaunce, Jarventie

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Even as the NHL works towards finalizing a plan to begin the 2020-21 season, with a second wave of free agent signings expected in response, many NHL veterans continue to look elsewhere for work this season. The latest appears to be forward Ty Rattie. Rattie, 27, actually played in the KHL last year but to this point had held out hope for a return to North America after a strong showing in Russia. Instead, he is expected to remain in Europe for another year. Johan Svensson of Swedish source Kvallsposten reports that the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks are close to finalizing a deal with Rattie. The skilled forward is just the latest name to be linked to a European club, as the likes of Mirco Mueller and Valentin Zykov have been among those rumored to be moving overseas this past week as well.

  • Other free agents continue to wait for NHL interest to develop ahead of the new season. Among some of the more intriguing depth names available are the brothers Gaunce. Of the 60 remaining unsigned unrestricted free agents, Cameron Gaunce and Brendan Gaunce top the list in terms of points per game this past season. Of course, a major caveat is that they finished at the bottom of that list in games played with just four games total between them. Yet, the brothers were not only efficient with minimal NHL opportunity, both were very productive in the AHL as well. Defenseman Cameron, 30, notched four points in three games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and added 32 points in 52 minor league games with the Syracuse Crunch while forward Brendan, 26, recorded a point in his lone appearance with the Boston Bruins and scored 37 points in 52 games with AHL Providence. Elite prospects who have established themselves as reliable pros over the years, the Gaunce brothers are among those whose patience should be paid off with a contract shortly.
  • Ottawa Senators prospect Roby Jarventie was not expected to challenge for a roster spot this season, but it seems the talented young forward is unlikely to make the jump to North America next year either. Finnish club Ilves of the Liiga has announced that they have exercised the option on Jarventie’s contract for the 2021-22 season. Although the NHL and the Liiga have a transfer agreement, Ilves likely made this move with the expectation that Jarventie would be around to fulfill the final year of his current contract. The second pick of the second round in the 2020 NHL Draft, Jarventie is a top prospect but is one of many for the Senators. However, with 14 points through 19 games already this season, the big forward’s stock is on the rise and Ottawa won’t want to wait too long to bring him over.

Minor Transactions: 12/02/19

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Five games are on tap for this evening in the NHL, including the Detroit Red Wings trying to avoid a ten-game losing streak when they welcome in the Buffalo Sabres. The Red Wings have been a mess all season and look like strong contenders to land the first-overall pick in 2020. As teams prepare for action, we’ll be keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • Jacob Markstrom has been granted a leave of absence from the Vancouver Canucks in order to attend the memorial service of his late father, meaning Michael Dipietro is on his way up to serve as an emergency goaltender. The Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night and will likely have Thatcher Demko in net.
  • Brendan Gaunce has been sent to the minor leagues by the Boston Bruins to make room for John Moore, who the team has finally activated from long-term injured reserve. Moore hasn’t played a single game for the Bruins this season but will be a welcome addition to one of the best teams in the NHL.
  • Ryan Miller will be starting for the Anaheim Ducks after John Gibson came down with an illness today, leading to the recall of Anthony Stolarz. The 25-year old Stolarz has a .910 save percentage in 14 games for the San Diego Gulls this season.

Minor Transactions: 11/18/19

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Just two games grace the NHL schedule as teams continue to get a little rest after a busy Saturday, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hockey chatter going on all across North America. As we head into the second quarter of the season coaches are already feeling their seat get a little warmer, while pending free agents should start becoming available for trade. As the hockey world continues to turn, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Max Veronneau, the young forward that signed out of Princeton at the end of last season. The 23-year old suited up for 12 games down the stretch for Ottawa but is getting his first chance of this season.
  • Brendan Gaunce and Urho Vaakanainen have both been recalled by the Boston Bruins after the team sent three players (including Vaakanainen) down yesterday. After an incredible start the Bruins have looked mortal lately, going just 5-2-3 in their last ten games.
  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled Louis Domingue, giving them three goaltenders on the roster for the moment. That’s a curious development and one that will make the waiver announcements today something to watch. Cory Schneider has struggled mightily this season, with an .852 save percentage through six appearances.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have sent Joel Persson to the minor leagues, giving them just six defensemen on the active roster for the time being. That should soon be fixed by the return of Adam Larsson, who will be activated off long-term injured reserve.
  • Steven Santini and Mathieu Olivier have been recalled by the Nashville Predators, adding some more youth to their group as they prepare to face the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night. Olivier was an undrafted free agent signing out of the QMJHL and has seven points in 17 games for the Milwaukee Admirals this season.

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