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Chris Tierney

Metropolitan Division Notes: Hischier, Gudbranson, Hurricanes

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New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted today that Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald doesn’t think that center Nico Hischier will be travelling with the team on their upcoming four-game road trip. Fitzgerald has reportedly talked with New Jersey’s medical staff and Hischier is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis. The ailment is being called an upper-body issue at this time and could it keep Hischier out of action for the next four games. That would mean that his earliest return date would be November 10th against the Washington Capitals.

The former first-overall pick is off to a slow start this season with just two goals in his first seven games after putting up 31 goals and 49 assists in 81 games last season. His lack of offense hasn’t hurt the Devils thus far as the team is off to a 5-2-1 start and currently sits third in the Metropolitan Division. If Hischier is sidelined for some time it is possible that former NHL regular Chris Tierney could fill in during his absence.

In other Metropolitan notes:

  • Columbus Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger tweeted today that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson has again missed practice. This is the second day in a row that the Ottawa, Ontario native did not skate after playing in Monday night’s game against the Dallas Stars. The 31-year-old was questionable for that game after taking a puck to the foot against the New York Islanders on Saturday night but did play in the 5-3 loss. Gudbranson has no points in nine games thus far this season but has averaged over three blocked shots a game.
  • Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted today that Vasily Ponomarev and Ryan Suzuki are both very close to returning to action and will likely be assigned to the AHL shortly after they do. Ponomarev suffered a knee injury in September and started the season on the injured reserve. Last season he played for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL posting 24 goals and 22 assists in 64 games. Suzuki on the other hand has been dealing with a shoulder injury that has kept him off the ice. He also spent last year with the Wolves in the AHL posting 13 goals and 19 assists in 50 games. Carolina doesn’t currently have an AHL affiliate now meaning that both players could find themselves on different teams once they are assigned to the AHL.

New Jersey Devils Sign Chris Tierney

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Veteran forward Chris Tierney has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the New Jersey Devils, per a team announcement, cementing his home for the 2023-24 campaign. The deal is worth $775K in the NHL and $400K in the AHL.

Tierney split last season between the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens organizations and was assigned to the minors for the first time in seven seasons while with the Panthers. After a four-year run with the Ottawa Senators, during which his offensive production steadily declined, Tierney signed a two-way deal with the Panthers in free agency last summer before Montreal claimed him on waivers in February of 2023.

The 29-year-old natural center accumulated three goals and ten points in 36 NHL games last year, his lowest totals since turning pro in 2014. He still produced a decent clip in the minors, scoring three goals and adding 13 assists for 16 points in 20 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

A second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2012, Tierney does bring nearly 600 career games of NHL experience to the Devils organization, but he’s not expected to play a significant role with the team this season. With the team losing some depth pieces to free agency, such as Jesper Boqvist and Miles Wood, Tierney does stand a chance to make the Devils out of training camp, although likely as a 13th or 14th forward.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Ontario product will be an unrestricted free agent again next summer.

Montreal Canadiens Claim Chris Tierney

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The Montreal Canadiens have added a little veteran presence off the waiver wire, claiming Chris Tierney from the Florida Panthers. Joey Anderson and Justin Kirkland, who were on waivers with him, both cleared.

Tierney, 28, has played nearly 600 games in his NHL career, even if those have rarely been as a leading man. The depth forward has three points in 13 games with Florida this season, after scoring six goals and 18 points in 2021-22 with the Ottawa Senators.

Florida was able to slip him through waivers at the beginning of the year, but now that teams like Montreal are dealing with so many injuries, he wasn’t making it back to the minor leagues this time.

The Canadiens updated several players today, indicating that Joel Armia is out day-to-day and Chris Wideman will be out week-to-week. The most intriguing update had to do with Kirby Dach, who won’t travel with the team due to what the team is calling “illness-like symptoms related to a lower-body injury.”

Dach hasn’t played in a week now, and there is no clear timeline for his return. Montreal’s claim of Tierney makes sense in that context, given how few healthy bodies the Canadiens have. Signed to a one-year, two-way contract, he’ll be a UFA in the summer.

Three Players Placed On Waivers

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Three forwards have hit the waiver wire today. Toronto Maple Leafs winger Joey Anderson, Florida Panthers center Chris Tierney, and Anaheim Ducks winger Justin Kirkland are on today’s list, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

For the Maple Leafs, this is one more step in a long list of salary cap management moves this season. As the team looks to add one more small piece after acquiring Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues, every dollar of salary cap space matters. If Anderson clears waivers, they have the flexibility to shuttle him and his cap hit up and down to the AHL through the trade deadline.

Anderson has slowly moved up the Toronto depth chart over his three seasons there, and he’s played more NHL games this season than the last two combined. The 24-year-old has two goals and an assist in 14 games this year.

With Anthony Duclair nearing a return to action, the Panthers need to create some roster flexibility as well. Tierney had already cleared waivers once preseason, but after spending most of the past three months on the NHL roster, he’ll need to clear again in order for Florida to assign him to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Tierney, 28, is averaging under nine minutes of ice time this year and has three points in 13 games with Florida.

Kirkland landing on waivers today signifies he’s healthy again after sustaining an undisclosed injury in early January. The 26-year-old AHL mainstay made his NHL debut this season but has yet to register his first NHL point.

Florida Panthers Recall Chris Tierney

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After sending him down a few days back, the Florida Panthers recalled forward Chris Tierney today from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, according to a team tweet.

The 28-year-old veteran of more than 500 NHL games joined the Panthers this past offseason, somewhat surprisingly, on a two-way deal. His offensive production had trailed off throughout his four seasons with the Ottawa Senators, and he couldn’t crack the team out of training camp through a deep Panthers offensive lineup.

That’s led to Tierney not being a full-time NHLer for the first time since 2014-15, his first professional season. Even then, he was point-per-game in the AHL and played the majority of his games that season in the NHL.

Tierney has done well in the minors, recording 16 points in 20 games, but scored just three goals. Things have seemed to go better than expected for him in Sunrise, though, as he has three points through his meager five NHL appearances this season. It’s especially impressive given his minimal usage, as he’s played under eight minutes per game with Florida.

It’s unclear what exactly motivated Tierney’s recall, as Florida doesn’t have any injuries necessitating his presence. It could be that the Panthers want as large a roster as possible for their upcoming West Coast road trip, which they now do with 23 healthy skaters.

Florida Panthers Loan Chris Tierney To AHL

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The Florida Panthers have announced that forward Chris Tierney has been loaned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

The move frees another spot on the Panthers’ roster, and they now have two open spots for players should they choose to call up others from the AHL or activate one of their two players on long-term injured reserve.

Tierney, 28, has played five NHL games with the Panthers this season, scoring three points. He’s done so in an extremely limited role, having played just under eight minutes of ice time per night.

Those three points in five games is solid work for an AHL call-up, and Tierney’s quality play this year has extended to his time in the AHL. With the Checkers, Tierney has 16 points in 19 games, good for second-most on the team.

While this loan back to the AHL isn’t exactly good news for him, Tierney has given the Panthers exactly what they were hoping for when they signed him to a one-year, league-minimum two-way deal over the summer.

For just $750k against the cap, providing near point-per-game AHL production and chipping in some points on an NHL call-up is nothing to scoff at. His form is especially encouraging given the circumstances of his exit from his previous organization, the Ottawa Senators.

Once a 48-point scorer, Tierney went from being a potential long-term piece to a salary cap anchor. Injuries played their role, and Tierney’s time in Ottawa ended with an unceremonious 18 points in 70 games.

He seems to have now placed the frustration of his last few years behind him and is providing the Panthers with a nice return on their investment.

With this loan back to the AHL, Tierney will return to Charlotte and look to resume his role as one of the team’s top scorers, with the hope that his continued quality play can earn him another recall to the NHL roster.

Florida Panthers Recall Chris Tierney On Emergency Basis

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Chris Tierney may finally be getting his chance to return to the NHL, as the Florida Panthers announced they’ve recalled the forward from the Charlotte Checkers on an emergency basis. No corresponding move was made, but the recall comes a day after the team was forced to play a man short when Anton Lundell was ruled out with an upper-body injury. Florida’s next game comes Tuesday evening in Winnipeg against the Jets.

Last night wasn’t the first time the Panthers were forced to play a man down and is the result of a somewhat risky strategy of carrying a roster of just 18 skaters and two goaltenders most of the time. This strategy isn’t a new analytical experiment or something of the kind, but is instead forced due to the Panthers’ tight cap situation, using nearly all of their available LTIR space before adding in reinforcements.

Because Florida played a man short last game, they’re able to recall Tierney on an emergency basis without carrying his cap hit, per CapFriendly. Tierney will now give Florida an extra skater for Tuesday’s game in the case that Lundell cannot play, or at least someone to draw in should a similar situation present itself.

As for Tierney, the veteran forward signed a one-year, two-way contract with Florida this summer for the league minimum after the Ottawa Senators failed to re-sign him. Once an exciting young piece of the San Jose Sharks, Tierney was dealt in the Erik Karlsson trade and hit a career-high in points with 48 in his first year with Ottawa before seeing his production steadily slip year after year. This will be Tierney’s first time back on an NHL roster since last season, and he’s earned his recall, recording 16 points in 19 AHL games thus far.

Florida Panthers Sign Chris Tierney

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July 19: The Panthers have now officially announced the signing.

July 16: The Panthers have signed center Chris Tierney, per CapFriendly, who is the second former Ottawa Senator they’ve taken a chance on this offseason, after their earlier signing of Colin White. While we are waiting on the official announcement of the deal, CapFriendly has details on the finances. Tierney is getting a one-year, $750K two-way deal with a hefty $400K AHL salary.

Tierney comes from the Senators organization, and it was there that he was once viewed as a foundational part of their rebuild, a potential middle-six staple for many years. Tierney arrived in Ottawa through the Erik Karlsson trade and was coming off of an impressive year in San Jose where he had 17 goals and 40 points. Tierney’s first year in Ottawa was impressive, and although he only had nine goals he finished with 48 points. From that point, Tierney steadily declined in offensive production, battling injuries along the way, and got to the point where he could only muster 18 points in 70 games, as he did in 2021-22.

Tierney’s two-way game had always been his calling card, but his reliability on that front suffered as well. Tierney’s once-reliable win rate at the face-off dot dipped below 50% and Tierney’s time on the Senators’ penalty kill, where he was once a fixture, all but evaporated. Tierney is only 28 years old, so there is still room for him to bounce back, and he heads to Florida with a chance to re-emerge as an impactful NHL player.

The Panthers have had success in reviving the careers of former Ottawa Senators, just one look at Anthony Duclair’s numbers in Florida confirm that. Tierney’s signing gives him a chance to follow in Duclair’s footsteps and re-establish himself as an NHL option on the Panthers.

Senators Notes: Free Agents, World Championships, Brown, Sanderson

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Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion spoke to reporters today during his end-of-season availability, stating that forwards Chris Tierney and Tyler Ennis won’t be extended and defenseman Victor Mete won’t be issued a qualifying offer. The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise as the team likely looks to be a little more aggressive in free agency, pursuing bigger talents to help push a budding young core into playoff contention.

Tierney had just 18 points in 70 games this season, a career-low. Ennis was much more productive in an even more limited role, notching 24 points in 57 games. He should continue to find a home next season to provide solid depth scoring. Mete only appeared in 37 games this season, oftentimes a healthy scratch.

  • Dorion also announced that forwards Austin Watson and Adam Gaudette will make the trip to Finland to represent the United States at the 2022 World Championships, joining teammate Tim Stutzle who will be with Germany. Gaudette had just 14 points in 58 games this year, a far cry from his 33-point year in 59 games a few seasons back. Watson, known for his grit rather than his scoring, ended up with more points, tallying 16 in 67 games.
  • Forward Connor Brown was dealing with not one but two wrist injuries by the time the season ended. That didn’t stop him much, though, as he still tallied a respectable 39 points in 64 games as he battled through injury at various points this season. He’s done nothing but score consistently since joining the Senators, tallying 117 points in 191 games over three seasons so far.
  • Promising defense prospect Jake Sanderson re-injured his hand this week, but Dorion says he’ll be ready for training camp. Dorion notes Sanderson will participate in development camp over the summer, while forward Shane Pinto, who was injured most of this season, will join him at rookie camp.

Minnesota Wild Looking To Add At Trade Deadline

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The Minnesota Wild are quickly becoming a wagon of a team, separating themselves from the rest of the pack in the Western Conference. Their .689 points percentage puts them on pace for 113 points this season, which would break their record of 106 set in 2016-17 and would be their fifth 100+ point season since joining the league in 2000-01. Despite a track record of decent teams, though, Minnesota has only advanced to the Conference Final stage once — their third season, 2002-03. They’ve made the playoffs numerous times since then but have only escaped the first round twice, losing back-to-back Second Round series in 2014 and 2015.

But with the good ol’ salary cap looming over his team’s head in the near future, general manager Bill Guerin knows there’s no time like the present to add assets for a potential Stanley Cup run in a weak Western Conference. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Wild are still in on J.T. Miller, who would be a hot commodity if Vancouver does opt to trade him after their recent hot stretch. Miller was linked to the Wild as far back as November 2021. They’ll face stiff competition, though, as Seravalli notes the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames are also interested in his services.

The Fourth Period also notes that Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion was spotted scouting tonight’s game between the Wild and Montreal Canadiens. Senators center Chris Tierney is a pending unrestricted free agent, and the experienced bottom-six pivot will also likely be gone at the deadline. He’s another body the team could be interested in.

A center is a common theme here, and it’s the position at which Minnesota lacks the most. Ryan Hartman is enjoying a career year playing between stars Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, but he’s not a natural center and has won just 46.6% of his faceoffs this year. Miller, who’s got 39 points in 39 games so far with Vancouver, is a proven top-six center with better faceoff numbers, the ideal complement down the middle to Joel Eriksson Ek.

It’s worth noting that Miller does have one season remaining after this one on his contract, which carries a $5.25MM cap hit. With the buyout penalties of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter increasing by a staggering $8MM this offseason, salary retention may be a requirement for them. There’s no guarantee Vancouver would be willing to oblige, and Miller will certainly have other suitors.

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