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Casey Nelson

East Notes: Morin, Shaw, Sabres

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Though all of the turmoil that gone on in Philadelphia this season, injuries may be the least appreciated. One of those injuries that has had an effect on the team this year has been that of Samuel Morin, who underwent knee surgery in May and hasn’t been on the ice since. Today that all changed, as according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Morin got back on the ice with teammates today for the first time.

Morin, 23, was the 11th-overall pick in 2013 but has played just three NHL games so far in his career and saw his 2017-18 season decimated by injury. If he can get back this season—the team expects some time in February—there’s a good chance he would be an immediate upgrade on their blue line and could offer a stylistic counterpoint to some of the team’s more offensive options.

Atlantic Notes: Senators’ Youth, Walker, Howard, Nelson

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The Ottawa Senators seem to have little go right over the last year or so, whether it was the unhappiness of their star defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Matt Duchene trade in which the team traded away their No. 1 overall pick for next season to Colorado. With the team shipping off players left and right, that pick could be a costly one for the team.

However, the Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren writes that who the Senators need to look at the success of the New Jersey Devils last season had when they opted to add a struggling team with youth. Just a season ago, the Devils had a 28-40-14 season and just 70 points. However, New Jersey brought in an infusion of youth, including Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Will Butcher, as well as second-year players like Miles Wood and Pavel Zacha. That group altered the makeup of the struggling franchise and turned last season into a 44-29-9 season for 97 points, an increase of 27 points on the year. The team even qualified for the playoffs.

The Senators, who are actually loaded with quality prospects within their system, could get a similar infusion from their prospects. That possibility might start with 2018 first-rounder Brady Tkachuk, who opted to turn pro last week and has a chance to walk right into the Senators lineup. The team has other young players who are ready for full seasons this year, including Colin White, Logan Brown, Thomas Chabot, Filip Chlapik and Drake Batherson. The team also has last year’s second-round pick Alex Formenton, who made the Senators squad out of training camp last year, who could also make the jump this year. Some success from some of those kids could make people forget a little about some of the franchise’s struggles.

  • Former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Kurt Walker passed away Friday night at the age of 64 after a brief illness, according to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby. Walker, who might have been better known after his short NHL career, was an advocate for retired NHL players. His efforts nearly a decade ago helped retired players and opened doors for affordable health care, concussion research on NHL retired players and stem-cell research. Walker played three seasons in the NHL, all for the Maple Leafs, playing in 71 games, tallying four goals, five assists and 152 penalty minutes.
  • Mlive’s Ansar Khan writes that the Detroit Red Wings need a solid year out of 34-year-old goaltender Jimmy Howard, who has one year remaining on his contract. Howard started the 2017-18 season strong, but struggled in the second-half of the season, finishing the year with a 2.85 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 60 games. The team may have to lighten his workload now that the team added Jonathan Bernier, but if Howard will have to have a better year to earn another contract with the team. Khan writes the team might want to give him a two-year extension as they lack goalie prospects in their system.
  • The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that Buffalo Sabres defensive prospect Casey Nelson has a good chance at breaking camp with the Sabres this year because he now requires Buffalo to pass him through waivers to send him to the AHL. Nelson, has played 55 games for Buffalo over the past three years and showed some promise last year, putting up three goals and eight assists in 37 games. However, because the team could conceivably lose him if they attempt to pass him through waivers, they may be more likely to hold onto him and send other prospects like Brendan Guhle to the AHL since he doesn’t require waivers.

Casey Nelson Signs Two-Year Extension With Buffalo Sabres

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The Buffalo Sabres have locked up one of their pending unrestricted free agents, signing Casey Nelson to a two-year extension. The deal carries an average annual value of $812,500, giving Nelson a slight raise over the $650K he made this year.

Though he is just 25, Nelson was scheduled to become a Group VI UFA this summer and could have signed with any team. That’s likely what prompted an extension from the Sabres, despite playing in only 37 relatively unspectacular games this season. Nelson was an undrafted free agent signing out of college, but hasn’t quite developed into the full-time NHL defender they’d hoped for.

That chance may not come next season either, as the Sabres already have five NHL defensemen signed for next season and Rasmus Dahlin likely joining them as the first-overall pick. That doesn’t include Brendan Guhle or restricted free agent Victor Antipin, who should make it quite a crowded blue line for the club to decide from.

Though that’s not exactly a problem, it could mean some changes are coming this summer for the Sabres. The silver lining for Nelson might be his handedness, as he remains one of the few right-handed options the team has for next season.

Minor Transactions: 4/8/18

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With the Eastern Conference still undecided until today’s final regular season game, the Western Conference has no questions as the Colorado Avalanche finished off the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 victory Saturday as they clinched the final playoff spot. The Nashville Predators got the top spot and will face the Avalanche. In other first-round matchups, the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks will face the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild will face the Winnipeg Jets. 

Complete List Of Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents

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Back in November, we took a look at some of the potential Group VI free agents that could hit unrestricted free agency early this offseason. Of that group, Josh Leivo was extended and Stefan Noesen eclipsed the number of games played needed to stay with the New Jersey Devils organization. Now, CapFriendly has compiled a complete list of players still at risk of becoming free agents early, including how many games they need. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:

  1. The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
  2. The player has completed 3 or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19 year old player), or 1 or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
  3. The player has played less than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender.

The entire list of players at risk can be found below, but make sure you check out CapFriendly for more detailed information on how they could avoid the designation this summer.

*Indicates that the player could still play in enough games this season to become ineligible for Group VI free agency

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Minor Transactions: 01/17/18

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The NHL has just two games on the schedule today before getting back to a full slate on Thursday, and should expect to see several minor moves around league rosters. We’ll keep track of all of them right here. Make sure to refresh throughout the day to keep track of all the movement.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea from the minor leagues as they go on the road for back-to-back matchups against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Dea has 23 points this season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but has just one NHL game under his belt in his short career. Looking for that first NHL point still, he’ll have to find a way into the lineup over the next few days.
  • Casey Nelson is on his way up to Buffalo, recalled today from the Rochester Americans. Nelson played 11 games for the Sabres last season, but has yet to suit up this year. Buffalo is back in action tomorrow night after their bye week, taking on the New York Rangers.
  • Colorado has brought back center Dominic Toninato from San Antonio of the AHL.  The first year pro has skated in eight games with the Avalanche already this season while recording seven goals and five assists in 30 games with the Rampage.
  • With Washington’s bye week set to come to an end, the Capitals have recalled winger Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey from AHL Hershey, per the AHL’s Transactions page.  The moves come as no surprise as the demotions were simply to save some cap space (a little over $33K); neither player suited up while they were with the Bears.
  • The Devils made a pair of roster moves, recalling defenseman Steven Santini from Binghamton of the AHL while sending goaltender Ken Appleby back down.  This reverses the swap from Tuesday that saw Appleby promoted to take the place of Cory Schneider who was unable to dress last night against the Islanders due to an illness.

Minor Transactions: 11/24/17

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With no games on the schedule on Thursday, Friday is a busy day in the NHL with all but three teams in action.  Here’s where we’ll keep tabs on today’s minor roster moves.

  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have assigned defenseman Jaycob Megna and goaltender Reto Berra to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Megna, who was placed on waivers Thursday and cleared this morning, will indeed, be sent to the Gulls. Now that Cam Fowler was healthy, the team had to make a move to reduce their number of defensemen. Berra will also return to San Diego as backup Ryan Miller is expected to return after being out for the past week with a lower-body injury. The team didn’t have to put Berra on waivers as the goaltender had been placed on waivers on Nov. 4 and cleared. Since he wasn’t up for 10 games or 30 days, he doesn’t have to pass through waivers again.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have reassigned defenseman Philip Holm to the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 25-year-old defenseman was recalled on Monday, but did not see any action. Holm has two goals and eight assists in 15 games for Utica. He was sent down after the team activated defenseman Troy Stecher off injured reserve.
  • Dallas Stars prospect Nick Caamano has been dealt from the Flint Firebirds to the Hamilton Bulldogs tweets NHL.com’s Sean Shapiro. Caamano has 21 points in 23 games and was highlighted during training camp as a player who continues to rise through the organization. Within that article, The Dallas Morning-News’ Mike Heika writes that he would return to Flint “as a face” to specifically sell Firebird hockey. Now, he’s off to Hamilton where he will be reunited with former Flint coach John Gruden.

Earlier updates:

  • The Capitals announced that they have recalled center Tyler Graovac from his long-term conditioning loan with Hershey of the AHL. He got into four games with the Bears during that stretch, recording a goal and an assist.  Those loans typically only last three games but Graovac agreed to the extension.  The 24-year-old played in three games with Washington early in the season before suffering an upper-body injury back on October 17th.
  • Buffalo has reassigned defenseman Casey Nelson to AHL Rochester per a team release. That suggests that Rasmus Ristolainen is ready to return to the lineup after missing the last three weeks with an upper-body issue.  While Nelson was recalled back on November 16th, he didn’t get into any action with the Sabres.  In 14 minor league games this season, he has a goal and three assists.
  • Tampa Bay has recalled forward Cory Conacher according to an announcement from their AHL team in Syracuse. Conacher leads the Crunch in scoring this season with 13 points (6-7-13) in 17 games.  While this will be his first NHL stint in 2017-18, the 27-year-old did relatively well in his NHL action with the Lightning last year when he recorded a goal and three helpers in 11 contests.  GM Steve Yzerman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link) that a couple of forwards are dealing with minor injuries so Conacher’s recall is insurance as the team heads into back-to-back games.
  • Calgary has brought up goaltender David Rittich from Stockton of the AHL, reports Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun (Twitter link). The Flames were expected to bring up a goaltender following their decision to waive Eddie Lack on Thursday.  The 25-year-old is off to a solid start with the Heat, posting a 2.17 GAA and a .931 SV% in six minor league appearances so far this season.
  • The Canadiens announced that they have assigned defenseman David Schlemko to Laval of the AHL on a conditioning stint.  This marks the second time this season that this has happened; he played in one game the first time and then went back on injured reserve with the same hand injury.  He has yet to play in Montreal after being acquired from Vegas shortly after the Expansion Draft.

Morning Notes: Houston, Fedun, Matthews

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The new owner of the Houston Rockets met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently, according to a report from Katie Strang of The Athletic. Tilman Fertitta, who purchased the Rockets this summer for $2.2 billion, had previously suggested he’d be interested in bringing the NHL to Houston. One meeting doesn’t prove that anything is set to happen, but it does have to throw Houston into the ring for potential expansion or relocation in the future. Bettman did admit to The Athletic that they would have to consider Houston if there was interest “under the right circumstances.”

There are several teams around the league with uncertain futures, most notably in Calgary, Arizona and New York (Islanders), and now two US locations that seem like legitimate new possibilities. Seattle, with its new arena proposal headed by Oak View Group, and now Houston with interest from an owner who is more than financially capable. While many Canadian hockey fans wish that Quebec City was first on the list, they may remain in the NHL’s back pocket even longer if viable locations are popping up in the United States. There is no clear path for expansion right now, nor is the league actively looking for relocation at the moment.

  • Buffalo’s season is getting even worse with the announcement that Taylor Fedun and Matt Tennyson have been put on injured reserve today. An already thin blueline gets even thinner, and head coach Phil Housley announced that Fedun would be out six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury. In the meantime the team has recalled Casey Nelson because Zach Redmond is also nursing an injury in the minor leagues. The Sabres need defensive help even when all of their starters are healthy, and risk falling out of the playoff race altogether if they don’t find an answer on the back end.
  • Auston Matthews is out once again for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, despite practicing for much of the week. The 20-year old superstar hasn’t played in ten days, though the team is 3-0 in his absence. Nikita Soshnikov will enter the lineup in his absence, though it likely means Patrick Marleau will regain his position at center ice. Marleau has been a winger for the last several years, but was forced into the center role in Toronto due to their lack of depth behind Matthews. Beyond the NHL, the Maple Leafs don’t have a ton of other options down the middle, a concern that could lead to some interesting decisions this summer. Tyler Bozak is a pending unrestricted free agent, but could be too expensive to bring back on anything other than a short-term deal. The team may have to look elsewhere to fill the third-line center role next year.

Minor Transactions: 11/16/17

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Last night was an entertaining one in the hockey world, with the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames taking us back to a different era of hockey. The two teams got into a line brawl that will likely result in several suspensions. While we wait on word from the Department of Player Safety, keep your eyes right here for all the minor moves around the league.

Atlantic Notes: Karlsson, Detroit Goaltending, Nelson

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Despite leaving Thursday’s game against the Rangers with his nagging foot injury, Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson is expected to suit up this afternoon in a pivotal Game Five matchup, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.  The scribe adds that Ottawa’s captain is having his foot frozen before every game in an effort to try to dull some of the pain but that he appears to be walking okay.

Karlsson revealed after the opening round of the playoffs that he has been playing with two hairline fractures in his foot and while he was optimistic that it would be fully healed in time for their series against New York, that hardly seems to be the case now.  As Ottawa’s top defender and one that has been logging a ton of ice time so far (28:45 per game, the highest among any player still active in the postseason), they will be leaning on him heavily even if he is still not quite 100%.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Despite coming off a strong season, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that the Red Wings will likely still have a hard time trying to move goaltender Jimmy Howard this offseason. With two years left on his deal with a cap charge of $5.3MM, he may be deemed a bit too pricey for teams looking for new starters, especially with it being a deep class in free agency.  As for Petr Mrazek, Khan expects that the asking price will remain high and given the season he had (a 3.04 GAA and a .901 SV% in 50 games), it’s unlikely that another team will be willing to make the type of offer that GM Ken Holland would need to be willing to part with him.
  • Sabres blueliner Casey Nelson dealt with a lingering neck issue that had him in and out of the lineup on several occasions this year, notes John Vogl of the Buffalo News. Despite making the opening roster, the 24 year old spent the bulk of the season at the minor league level, getting into 58 games with AHL Rochester.  Nelson will be returning to school this summer as he looks to finish his degree at Minnesota State Mankato after signing with the Sabres following his junior year back in 2016.

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