Hurricanes Recall Jackson Blake
Yesterday, the Hurricanes reassigned rookie forward Jackson Blake to AHL Chicago, per an announcement from the minor league club. Blake has been sent down once this season in a short-term cap-saving move before being recalled within a day or two, and this time was no different. He’s already back on Carolina’s roster, per the NHL’s media site.
Blake, a fourth-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2021, signed his entry-level contract in the closing days of the 2023-24 regular season and burned the first year of the deal, making his NHL debut against the Blue Jackets on April 16. He didn’t technically crack Carolina’s opening night roster, but that was mostly due to cap constraints. He was recalled the following day and has played in all four Hurricanes games to begin the season, scoring twice and racking up 6 PIMs while averaging 10:57 per night.
In 2022-23 and 2023-24, the 21-year-old Blake was an all-around standout for the University of North Dakota. He split time between right wing and center, racking up 38 goals and 64 assists for 102 points in 79 games. He earned NCHC Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 before being named outright Player of the Year last season while also being a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top collegiate player.
The 5’11”, 178-lb Blake is fitting in well into Carolina’s bottom six so far, an important development for a team that lost a fair amount of scoring depth to free agency over the offseason. He’s generating a lot of chances in his limited ice time, averaging three shots on goal per game, and has controlled possession with a 58.1 CF% and 61.5 xGF% at even strength.
Snapshots: Greig, Blake, Dunn, Kolosov
Senators center Ridly Greig is dealing with an upper-body injury, relays Sportsnet’s Alex Adams (Twitter link). The 22-year-old locked down a regular spot in Ottawa’s lineup for most of last season, notching 13 goals and 13 assists in 72 games while logging nearly 15 minutes a night. Greig has been on the wing to start the year and missed a couple of shifts in Saturday’s game against Montreal, presumably due to the injury. He might not be out for long, however, as head coach Travis Green noted that Greig could still suit up on Monday against Los Angeles.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Hurricanes quietly papered winger Jackson Blake down to AHL Chicago on Saturday. However, his time there was short-lived as he has already been recalled, per the AHL’s transactions log. The move simply allowed them to bank a few thousand dollars in cap space with Carolina’s game against Tampa Bay postponed yesterday. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hurricanes do this with some regularity with Blake, their lone waiver-exempt player, to try to open up a bit more spending flexibility.
- Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, relays team broadcaster Piper Shaw (Twitter link). He played into the final minute of Saturday’s game but the issue was enough to keep him out of tonight’s contest against Dallas. The 27-year-old has two points in his first two games this season after putting up 46 in 59 appearances in 2023-24.
- Late last month, Flyers prospect Alexei Kolosov ended his stalemate with the team, reporting to training camp after an agreement was reached that could allow for a potential return later on. That potential return might come sooner than later, however, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week in his 32 Thoughts column that Philadelphia only has until the end of the month to convince him about their plans for him. Kolosov made it known over the summer that he wants to play in the KHL this season if he was going to be in the minors. While he’s with the Phantoms for now, he might not be there for too much longer based on Friedman’s report.
Carolina Hurricanes Recall Jackson Blake, Reassign Bryce Montgomery
The Carolina Hurricanes will get one of their top forward prospects into the lineup for their regular season opener on Friday. The organization announced they have recalled Jackson Blake from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves while sending recently signed defenseman Bryce Montgomery the other way.
Blake has become a ‘diamond in the rough’ find for Carolina with the team selecting him with the 109th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft. His play came to life at the University of North Dakota with 38 goals and 102 points in 79 contests. The Hurricanes quickly signed Blake to his entry-level contract last spring after tying for fourth in the NCAA in scoring and finishing third in Hobey Baker Award voting.
He should find a consistent role in Carolina’s middle-six to start the year with the team losing so much forward depth over the summer. The Hurricanes still need a more reliable winger to put next to Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the top line which could be Blake’s if he adjusts well to the NHL. He finished his first preseason in Carolina with one goal and two points in four contests.
AHL Chicago was always the likely landing spot for Montgomery after the team signed him to his entry-level contract yesterday. He appeared in 48 last year for the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays scoring four goals and 12 points overall. He’s a big defenseman standing at 6’5″, 231lbs, and should bring a lot of physicality and roughness to the Wolves back end this season.
Hurricanes Sign Jackson Blake To Entry-Level Contract
The Hurricanes have signed right-wing prospect Jackson Blake to a three-year, entry-level contract effective immediately, per a team release. Blake will receive a $775K base salary in 2023-24 and $832.5K in 2024-25 and 2025-26, plus signing bonuses of $92.5K each year. He’ll earn $80K at the AHL level for all three seasons. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reported yesterday that Blake had traveled to Raleigh and was likely to turn pro.
Blake, 20, spent the last two seasons with the University of North Dakota, where he quickly emerged as one of the top young players in the college circuit. A 2021 fourth-round pick of the Canes, Blake exploded for 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in 39 games with the Fighting Hawks in his freshman year, leading the team in scoring and capturing three NCHC year-end honors, including the conference’s Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the USA’s roster for the 2023 World Juniors, where he contributed to their bronze-medal effort with a goal and five assists in seven games.
Blake took things to another level this season, finishing fourth in collegiate scoring with 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 40 games. As a result, he was the team’s nominee for the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player and is one of three finalists for the award alongside presumptive 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini and top Ducks prospect Cutter Gauthier.
Described as an “explosive playmaker” by Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, Blake checked in as the number-four prospect in Carolina’s system in The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s 2024 ranking of NHL prospect pools. Two of three players ahead of him, defenseman Scott Morrow and winger Bradly Nadeau, have also turned pro out of college in the last couple of weeks and signed ELCs effective immediately.
The son of former Islanders winger Jason Blake is the eldest and most polished of the three and is most likely to land a spot on Carolina’s opening-night roster in 2024-25. Thanks to his August birthday, he’ll be 21 at the start of next season. He’ll be an RFA upon expiry of his deal in 2026.