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Jack LaFontaine

Injury Notes: Saros, Andersen, Bunting

at CDT | by 15 Comments

The Nashville Predators already had an incredibly daunting task ahead of them when they drew the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, but now it might seem an impossible task. Head coach John Hynes told reporters including Adam Vingan of The Athletic that Juuse Saros, injured in the last week of the season, will miss at least the first two games of the series. Saros is on the trip but it is not yet clear when he will be back for the Predators.

In his absence, Hynes explained that they are still discussing whether to start David Rittich or Connor Ingram in game one. A decision that might be easy for most teams that have a regular backup, the Predators are in a sort of a unique situation. No other team relied on their starter more heavily than Nashville, who had Saros start 67 games this season. Rittich posted an .886 save percentage in 17 appearances, while Ingram had a .879 in three. The series starts tomorrow night.

  • Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports that Carolina Hurricanes starter Frederik Andersen has a sprained knee, though there is no structural damage. She believes it is highly unlikely that the primary Jennings winner will be ready for game two. Antti Raanta will get the start tonight, though with his own history of injuries the team has brought along an extra goaltender. Jack LaFontaine has been recalled from the minor leagues, and will likely serve as the emergency backup tonight. Unlike the regular season, where each venue hosts an EBUG that can end up dressing for either team, in the playoffs teams can carry their own.
  • It appears as though the Edmonton Oilers will have Darnell Nurse in the lineup tonight, despite him not actually confirming it at his press availability. Pierre LeBrun and Ryan Rishaug of TSN discuss the situation, noting that while the top defenseman is technically a game-time decision, they both believe he’ll be available this evening. Nurse hasn’t played since April 22, when he left early against the Colorado Avalanche. As they have many times in the second half, the Oilers could dress seven defensemen, especially if Nurse is still not at 100 percent.

Snapshots: Kane, Ryan, LaFontaine

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The San Jose Sharks officially filed the termination of Evander Kane’s contract yesterday, but it was met with a grievance from the NHLPA last night, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. How it will all work out is still very much unclear, but for now, Kane and his representatives have begun searching for a new home.

In fact, Dan Milstein, Kane’s agent, told LeBrun that there is a lot of interest in his client who will be signing a one-year deal for the rest of this season. Darren Dreger of TSN said on the radio today that 15-20 teams have expressed some level of interest, with the Edmonton Oilers being one of them.

  • It appears as though Bobby Ryan’s bid to represent the United States again at the Olympics won’t come to fruition, as former NHL player Marc Methot tweets that Ryan hasn’t made the roster. The veteran forward was supposed to play at the recent Spengler Cup in preparation, but it was canceled due to COVID concerns. Interestingly, that means that Ryan could potentially be on the radar for NHL teams looking to add a little bit of depth down the stretch.
  • Jack LaFontaine has been assigned to the Carolina Hurricanes taxi squad and spoke to Sara Civian of The Athletic about what he calls a “golden” opportunity to start his NHL career. Civian reports that it is likely that LaFontaine gets at least one game with the Hurricanes this season. The young goaltender left his college career behind to sign with Carolina and will be a restricted free agent this summer whether he plays in the NHL or not.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Jack LaFontaine

at CDT | by 11 Comments

It’s not often that you see an NHL team sign a college prospect during the season, but with the Carolina Hurricanes desperately searching for goaltending depth that’s exactly what has happened. Jack LaFontaine, the reigning Mike Richter Award winner and current starting goaltender for the University of Minnesota, has signed his one-year entry-level contract, leaving the college level behind.

Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a statement:

As the reigning Mike Richter Award recipient, Jack has proven he’s ready to take the next steps in his career. We love his athleticism and consistency and can’t wait for him to start his professional career.

LaFontaine is no longer eligible to play in the NCAA and will join the Hurricanes organization immediately. His entry-level deal comes with a prorated NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $70K, and a signing bonus of $88.5K (the release originally indicated LaFontaine had received a $250K bonus, but entry-level signing bonuses are capped at $92.5K).

Already 24, it’s been nearly six years since LaFontaine was selected 75th overall by the Hurricanes in 2016. The 6’3″ netminder debuted for the University of Michigan the following season, but after two years in a rotating goaltending platoon, he left the Wolverines and played a year with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL, winning the league’s top goaltender award. He joined Minnesota in 2019-20 and posted a .919 save percentage in 25 starts, but it was 2020-21 when he really excelled.

Last season he posted a 22-7 record with a .934 save percentage, winning the NCAA top goaltender award and finishing as a finalist for the Hobey Baker. He was a first-team All-American, won the Big Ten tournament MVP, and looked poised to make the jump to professional hockey. Instead, he used the additional year of availability offered because of COVID to return to Minnesota for this season and was named a co-captain of the Golden Gophers.

His departure after 20 games is somewhat shocking, though things hadn’t been going quite as well this time around. LaFontaine has a .900 save percentage through 20 games with a 12-8 record. That’s where his college career will end, leaving Minnesota with Justen Close and Brennan Boynton in net. Of course, the Gophers would have had Jared Moe, a Winnipeg Jets sixth-round pick, but he transferred to Wisconsin (where he has a .922 in 17 games) when LaFontaine decided to return.

With Antti Raanta injured, the Hurricanes went with Alex Lyon in net last night against the Florida Panthers but have organizational depth issues into the low minors as well. Eetu Makiniemi and Beck Warm are both currently injured, leaving the Chicago Wolves scrambling to sign goaltenders to professional tryouts just to ice a roster. LaFontaine will help ease those issues, whether he ends up at the AHL or NHL level. He’ll also get to burn through his entry-level deal this season, making him a restricted free agent in the summer.

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