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Jalen Chatfield

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hart, Chatfield

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According to Rob Rossi of The Athletic, a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins have seemingly dodged a bullet when it comes to injuries. The Penguins appeared to be in a difficult spot when Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta both left Tuesday night’s game early with injuries. It seemed unlikely they would have the cap space to make a recall and even find six healthy defensemen for their game with the New York Rangers tonight.

However, somewhat surprisingly, it sounds like both Petry and Rutta will be good to go tonight. Both players participated in morning skate and said afterwards that they expect to be in the lineup this evening. The team even said forward Ryan Poehling is likely to be activated from long-term injured reserve and play for the first time since February 11.

  • Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Carter Hart was back with the Philadelphia Flyers at practice this morning. Hart missed the team’s last game with an illness, but appears to have recovered quickly and could be in goal when they face the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night. Hart has a 2.96 GAA and a .906 SV% in 48 games this season.
  • Walt Ruff of NHL.com reports Jalen Chatfield is back as a full participant for the Carolina Hurricanes. The right defenseman was skating on the third pairing with Shayne Gostisbehere with a regular jersey on instead of the no-contact jersey he had been using. Chatfield has not played since March 7, but head coach Rob Brind’Amour says he hopes Chatfield will be ready to step back into the lineup either when the Hurricanes take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night or the Flyers on Saturday.

Injury Notes: Fabbri, Carlson, Hurricanes

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More than just Detroit Red Wings fans cringed when they saw Robby Fabbri limp off the ice last night with a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old has been through multiple major knee surgeries in his career, but keeps coming back and showing that he can contribute at the NHL level on reconstructed ACLs.

When he missed practice today, it seemed like it might be bad news for the talented winger, but head coach Derek Lalonde told reporters that Fabbri is only out day-to-day. The Red Wings will be cautious for obvious reasons, but the team is optimistic that he avoided a serious injury.

  • John Carlson was on the ice again today for the Washington Capitals, as he continues to recover from the head injury he suffered earlier this season. Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports that the defenseman joined the scratches’ skate, albeit in a non-contact sweater. A more significant update is still expected in the next few days.
  • It’s finger-crossing days for the Carolina Hurricanes, who will have to hope their goaltending depth will stay healthy through a playoff run this time. Today, head coach Rod Brind’Amour explained that the team is hopeful the recent injury to Antti Raanta is “not too serious” but couldn’t give a more specific timeline. Jalen Chatfield, meanwhile, is getting evaluated today and is expected to miss some time.

Injury Notes: Merzlikins, Chatfield, Coyotes

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The Columbus Blue Jackets lost their starting goaltender after the first period of this evening’s contest with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Per a team release, Elvis Merzlikins would not play the remainder of the game due to an illness. Michael Hutchinson was forced into action with Merzlikins ruled out for the night. Merzlikins did return to the team’s bench early in the second period, which should rule out anything serious. After trading goaltender Joonas Korpisalo at the trade deadline, the Blue Jackets can’t afford to have another netminder unavailable to them.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced defenseman Jalen Chatfield would not return to the team’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He suffered an upper-body injury after playing just over seven minutes of action. Chatfield has played 61 games for the Hurricanes this season, scoring five goals and 12 points. The team added some depth on the blue line at the deadline when they acquired Shayne Gostisbehere, and that extra depth could be tested if Chatfield misses any time.
  • Per a team release, Arizona Coyotes winger Liam O’Brien is out of the lineup due to illness. The 28-year-old forward has scored one goal and seven points in 38 games for the Coyotes this season. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports added newcomer Brett Ritchie will have to wait before making his Coyotes debut as he is still dealing with visa issues after being acquired on Mar 3 from the Calgary Flames.

Carolina Hurricanes Extend Jalen Chatfield

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The Carolina Hurricanes have done a little offseason business ahead of time, signing minor league defenseman Jalen Chatfield to a two-year contract extension. The deal is two-way in 2022-23, paying Chatfield $750K at the NHL level, $250K at the AHL level and includes a $300K minor league guarantee. In 2023-24, it is a one-way contract worth $775K. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a statement:

From the moment camp began, he’s played the Hurricane way. Jalen earned this two-year extension, and we know he will continue to bolster our blue line.

Chatfield, 25, has appeared in seven games for the Hurricanes this season but spent most of his time in the AHL, recording four goals and seven points in 21 games for the Chicago Wolves. Undrafted, he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2017 and spent three seasons with the Utica Comets. In 2020-21, he made his NHL debut by skating in 18 games with the Canucks, registering a single point.

While he doesn’t figure to play a ton at the NHL level, Chatfield represents strong depth for the Hurricanes organization and can continue to lead with the Wolves. He cleared waivers without a problem at the beginning of October and now, with this two-year extension in hand, will likely clear them the next time the Hurricanes need to sneak him through.

Despite being just 25, Chatfield would have qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer. He’s now avoided RFA status altogether, as he’ll be a UFA when this new deal expires in 2024.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Shesterkin, Nemeth, Hurricanes

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The Flyers announced that they’ve placed Max Willman and a staff member in COVID protocol.  The 26-year-old has been a feel-good story for Philadelphia this season as he made his NHL debut this season and has chipped in with two goals and an assist in a dozen games.  Willman was originally drafted by Buffalo back in 2014 but didn’t sign.  He becomes the second Flyer currently in COVID protocol joining center Morgan Frost.

Meanwhile, goaltender Carter Hart will be unavailable for tonight’s game against Ottawa due to an undetermined illness.  The team announced (Twitter link) that Felix Sandstrom has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley to serve as Martin Jones’ backup.  They will get some help on the injury front, however, as winger Joel Farabee will return to the lineup after missing the last seven games due to a shoulder injury.  The 21-year-old has seven goals in 21 games so far this season.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is ready to return from his lower-body injury as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been activated off injured reserve with Keith Kinkaid being returned to AHL Hartford in a corresponding move.  The 25-year-old missed just over two weeks with the injury and had been off to a strong start to his season with a 2.05 GAA and a .937 SV% in 18 games.  Kinkaid, meanwhile, picked up the victory on Wednesday against Arizona.
  • From that same announcement, Rangers blueliner Patrik Nemeth has been placed in COVID protocol.  The 30-year-old had played in all 30 of New York’s games to this point, recording two assists along with 57 blocked shots while logging just over 17 minutes per game.  He’ll miss the next ten days.
  • Carolina won’t be getting any help on the injury front for a little while as Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes’ team site relays (Twitter link) that winger Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jalen Chatfield aren’t close to returning from their respective lower-body injuries. Martinook has been out for a little more than two weeks and head coach Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged that the 29-year-old could start skating soon but still will need a fair bit of time before he’s able to come back.  Meanwhile, Chatfield’s injury was more recent, sustained back on Sunday against his former team in Vancouver.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Jalen Chatfield, Sam Miletic

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Though it was reported on the first day of free agency, the Carolina Hurricanes have only just now officially announced a contract for Jalen Chatfield. The free agent defenseman has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way deal that will pay him $750K at the NHL level. Chatfield was a Group VI unrestricted free agent after spending the first few years of his career with the Vancouver Canucks organization.

The Hurricanes have also signed Sam Miletic to a one-year, two-way contract that carries an NHL salary of $750K. Miletic did not receive a qualifying offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins, making him an unrestricted free agent. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released statements on both players:

Jalen is a reliable defenseman who can kill penalties. He’s coming off his first NHL season and we’re thrilled to add him to our organization.

Sam is a playmaking forward who has been an All-Star in the AHL. We’re excited for him to take the next steps in his development.

It’s been a long grind for Chatfield, 25, who went undrafted out of the OHL but signed with the Canucks in 2017. He spent three full seasons in the minor leagues, skating for the Utica Comets of the AHL, before receiving his first NHL opportunity this year. With the taxi squad in place, Chatfield didn’t have to go to the minor leagues anymore, but he still wasn’t receiving regular playing time with the Canucks. In 18 games, he recorded one point.

Miletic meanwhile is in a very similar situation, though he hasn’t received any NHL chances. The 24-year-old forward was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the OHL and has played three seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. After registering just five points in 21 games this year, the Penguins cut him loose.

For both players, it seems more likely that they’ll be in the AHL than the NHL this season, but these contracts do still leave the possibility of a call-up open. To play with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, they’ll both need to clear waivers.

Vancouver Canucks Make Several Roster Moves

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With their first game about to get underway later tonight after a COVID-19 outbreak shut down the Vancouver Canucks for three and a half weeks, the team had to make several roster moves to fill up their roster. With a number of players still not ready, the team announced they have recalled a number of players, including forwards Tyler Graovac and Kole Lind, defenseman Guillaume Brisebois, and goaltender Michael Dipietro, all on emergency conditions. The team has also activated Tanner Pearson off of injured reserve, while loaning Brogan Rafferty to the taxi squad.

The Canucks, who had more than 20 positive tests within the organization during the epidemic, still have a number of players out, forcing the team to bring up numerous taxi squad players to fill the void against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight until players are able to return.

The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Brisebois and Jalen Chatfield are expected to play Sunday, while Lind and Ashton Sautner will participate in pre-game warmups, but neither is expected to play. Pearson is expected to return. He has been out since March 17 with a lower-body injury and should give the team a much-needed boost on offense.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/15/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Colorado – Bowen Byram, Philipp Grubauer
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, William Nylander, Ben Hutton
Vancouver –  Nils Hoglander, Nate Schmidt, Jake Virtanen

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Nicholas Robertson, Toronto Maple Leafs; Jalen Chatfield, Vancouver Canucks; Alexander Edler, Vancouver Canucks; Jayce Hawryluk, Vancouver Canucks; Zack MacEwen, Vancouver Canucks

Despite the Canucks getting down to just three names, the team will not resume play tomorrow as originally scheduled. Instead, the league is giving the team some extra time to recover and prepare for action.

Good news is that the Avalanche did not have any new names after Grubauer’s recent positive test. Hopefully, that will continue to be true over the next several days.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/14/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Colorado – Bowen Byram, Philipp Grubauer*
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov*
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson*
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates*
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, William Nylander, Ben Hutton, Nicholas Robertson*
Vancouver – Jalen Chatfield, Alexander Edler, Jayce Hawryluk, Nils Hoglander, Zack MacEwen, Nate Schmidt, Jake Virtanen

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Brandon Montour, Florida Panthers; Braydon Coburn, New York Islanders; Travis Boyd, Vancouver Canucks; Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks; Braden Holtby, Vancouver Canucks; Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks; Marc Michaelis, Vancouver Canucks; Tyler Motte, Vancouver Canucks; Tyler Myers, Vancouver Canucks; Antoine Roussel, Vancouver Canucks; Brandon Sutter, Vancouver Canucks

Grubauer is about the worst player to test positive for the Avalanche, but at least the team did add to their goaltending depth at the deadline. The team canceled morning skate today but are still expected to play tonight against the Blues. The 29-year-old has been one of the best goaltenders in the league this season with a 25-8-1 record, posting a .920 save percentage in his 34 appearances. Without him, the recently acquired Devan Dubnyk will likely be forced into an increased role.

Also added to the list is Robertson, who was recently recalled from the Toronto Marlies. The Marlies have now been shut down due to COVID-19 protocols, and as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, Robertson has been added to the list under precautionary measures. Still, the young forward has been around the Maple Leafs for the last several days and has played each of the last two nights.

For the Canucks, seeing a swathe of players come out of the protocol is excellent news as they prepare for action Friday night. The team hasn’t played since March 24 and will be forced to jump right back into the fray against the Oilers. Their list is down to just seven, with more players expected to be removed tomorrow.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/13/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Colorado – Bowen Byram
Florida – Brandon Montour
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Jon Merrill*
New York Islanders – Braydon Coburn
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, William Nylander, Ben Hutton*
Vancouver – Travis Boyd, Jalen Chatfield, Thatcher Demko, Alexander Edler, Jayce Hawryluk, Nils Hoglander, Braden Holtby, Bo Horvat, Zack MacEwen, Marc Michaelis, Tyler Motte, Tyler Myers, Antoine Roussel, Nate Schmidt, Brandon Sutter, Jake Virtanen

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jay Beagle, Vancouver Canucks; Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

The number of names included on the list today was always expected to increase thanks to the trade deadline yesterday, as players travel all over the continent to their new homes. We will likely see several more added in the next few days, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be held out more than a few days.

The important thing is that players continue to be removed from the Canucks’ list as the team approaches a return to the ice. Beagle was only added over the weekend, but Hughes was one of the first names to be added, appearing for the first time on April 2. Hopefully, the trend continues and the Canucks have a clean board later this week.

*denotes new addition

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