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Joel Kiviranta

Evening Notes: Martin, Kiviranta, Sharks

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Andrew Gross of Newsday is reporting that the New York Islanders will be without the services of forward Matt Martin for game 5 tomorrow night. Martin missed game 4 and didn’t practice today with the team. Martin has dressed in three games this postseason going scoreless while registering seven hits, 16 PIM and three blocked shots. Martin’s lower-body issue is the fourth time he’s dealt with injury this season and the fifth time this season he’s missed time due to a health issue.

Islanders head coach Patrick Roy told reporters that Martin is still day-to-day and will travel with the team for game 5 but won’t play. He added that he has not decided on who will skate in Martin’s place. The Islanders have a couple of options to replace the 34-year-old Martin as one of Simon Holmstrom or Ruslan Iskhakov could replace him in the lineup for game 5.

In other evening notes:

  • Mile High Sports reporter Aarif Deen tweeted that Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta will travel with the club to Winnipeg ahead of game 5 against the Jets. The 28-year-old missed game 4 yesterday because of a lower-body injury but could make his return tomorrow night. Kiviranta has a single assist through the first three games of the Jets series after posting three goals and six assists in 56 regular season games. The Avalanche called up Chris Wagner earlier today as a precaution in case Kiviranta is unable to play tomorrow night.
  • On today’s edition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed the San Jose Sharks’ search for a new head coach. Friedman believes that general manager Mike Grier is looking at potentially bringing people back who had a previous connection to the Sharks. Friedman went through a list of four potential candidates for the Sharks head coaching vacancy, beginning with former Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft who was an assistant in San Jose for seven seasons. The second name Friedman discussed was former Sharks player Marco Sturm who spent eight seasons with the team. Jay Leach was another name Friedman believes could be on the shortlist, Leach was a runner-up for the Sharks head coaching job previously when David Quinn was hired. The final name was Jeff Halpern who was a teammate of Grier’s back in their playing days, Friedman couldn’t find Halpern’s connection to the Sharks but believes that he is ready to be an NHL coach.

West Notes: DeSmith, Namestnikov, Kiviranta, Hague

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Casey DeSmith isn’t on the game roster for Canucks in today’s Game 4 against the Predators, forcing Vancouver to turn to third-string Arturs Silovs for his first playoff start with Thatcher Demko already hurt. It doesn’t appear the Canucks expect DeSmith out for long, however, as he was only termed day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There was further evidence to the fact shortly after the game started, as The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports DeSmith was still the Canucks’ designated emergency backup for today’s game.

The 32-year-old would only be eligible to play if Silovs and backup Nikita Tolopilo suffered in-game injuries. Otherwise, holding DeSmith out of game action points to his absence as being more precautionary than anything else, hoping to avoid aggravating whatever he’s dealing with. Assumedly, he’ll be back in action for elimination games later in the series after putting up a .911 SV% in two postseason games thus far.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov left today’s Game 4 loss to the Avalanche after a Nate Schmidt slapshot hit him in the side of the head in the middle of the third period. He remained on the ice for nearly a minute and was able to skate off with the assistance of trainers, not requiring a stretcher. He’s still been transported to a Denver hospital for evaluation, reports Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano. Winnipeg head coach Rick Bowness had no update on Namestnikov’s health postgame other than confirming he was taken to a hospital. The 31-year-old had a goal and a -2 rating in the first three games of the series, which the Jets now trail 3-1.
  • The Avalanche were without winger Joel Kiviranta in today’s win, paving the way for 24-year-old Nikolai Kovalenko to make his NHL debut after being recalled from the AHL less than an hour prior to puck drop. Speaking with reporters postgame, Avs head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Kiviranta’s absence was injury-related, calling him day-to-day with a lower-body issue (via NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding). The 28-year-old had worked his way into a third-line role, a domino effect due to Jonathan Drouin being out for the series. He started the season on a PTO and subsequent AHL contract but inked a major-league deal with Colorado in November. He has one assist and a +2 rating in three games against the Jets this postseason.
  • The Golden Knights expect to be without defenseman Nicolas Hague again in tomorrow’s Game 4 against the Stars, head coach Bruce Cassidy said (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster). He sustained a lower-body injury in the third period of Vegas’ Game 1 win and has yet to return to practice. The 25-year-old’s third-pairing duties have been assumed by veteran Alec Martinez, who began the postseason on the outside looking in after the Golden Knights’ trade deadline acquisition of Noah Hanifin pushed him down the depth chart. Hague made 73 appearances in the regular season, accumulating two goals and 12 points.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Jean-Luc Foudy

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The possibility of the Colorado Avalanche being without forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Joel Kiviranta tonight has come to pass, as Megan Angley of DNVR Avalanche reports that Nichushkin is out with a lower-body injury and Kiviranta is out with an illness. Carrying an open roster spot left to fill, the team recalled Jean-Luc Foudy on an emergency loan.

It will mark Foudy’s second emergency loan recall of the season, with the first coming on March 6th after Colorado’s flurry of trade deadline activity. Over that recall, Foudy played in one game for the Avalanche against the Detroit Red Wings, scoring one goal in almost 11 minutes of ice time.

Unfortunately, Foudy has not been able to accrue much playing time at the AHL level this season, as a lower-body injury suffered in training camp kept him off the ice until mid-January. Due to the injury, Foudy has registered only 18 games with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, scoring three goals and nine points overall.

Nevertheless, with the Avalanche having the ability to clinch a playoff spot this evening, it will be a valuable matchup for Foudy to be a part of. As Foudy will undoubtedly return north to Loveland by the end of the regular season, he will be a factor in the Eagles’ pursuit of a playoff position, as well.

Avalanche Notes: Nichushkin, Girard, Kiviranta

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The Avalanche have listed winger Valeri Nichushkin as questionable for Thursday’s game against the Rangers, head coach Jared Bednar said (via Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports). It’s a lower-body injury that’s not anything long-term but “could possibly keep him out,” said Bednar. Nichushkin has missed extensive time this season, but not due to injury. He missed a splattering of games with illness before missing 21 games while in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program from mid-January to earlier this month. It hasn’t impacted his performance when healthy, as he’s passed the point-per-game threshold for the first time in his career. He’s posted a career-high 26 goals, 24 assists and 50 points in 48 games while averaging 21:36 per game, another career-high for the two-way dynamo.

Other updates from Denver:

  • Nichushkin may not be the only minutes-munching skater out of the lineup tomorrow. The Avs could also be without blue-liner Samuel Girard, who missed today’s practice with an illness and is accordingly questionable against the Blueshirts, per Brennan Vogt of The Rink Colorado. The 25-year-old has only 18 points in 51 games, his worst offensive showing in quite some time. He’s made up for it with some improved defensive and possession play after an iffy few seasons, rebounding for a 55.1 CF% at even strength and +6.2 expected rating, his best numbers in three years despite seeing the most defensive-zone usage of his career. Joel Kiviranta and Caleb Jones would draw into the lineup if both Nichushkin and Girard are unavailable…
  • …except Kiviranta is dealing with an illness of his own, per Vogt, which may prompt the Avs to recall a forward from AHL Colorado before tomorrow’s contest. They’d be eligible to do so under emergency conditions, as Kiviranta is the only extra forward available on the roster and they’d only be able to dress 11 if he and Nichushkin are sidelined. After beginning the season on a minor-league deal after attending Avs camp on a PTO, the depth winger has three goals and nine points in 52 games while averaging 9:56 per game.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Joel Kiviranta

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a one-year, two-way $775k contract, according to a team announcement.

Kiviranta originally began the season on a PTO with the Avalanche, spending training camp and preseason with the team. He then signed an AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles, and after a strong start there he’s earned a full NHL deal.

The 27-year-old Finnish winger has scored six points in 10 games for the Eagles so far this season, where he has played in a first-line role. This season has been Kiviranta’s second in the AHL, as he made his debut in North America with the Texas Stars in 2019-20.

For the last three seasons, Kiviranta has exclusively played in the NHL with the Dallas Stars. He struggled to make an impact in 2022-23, scoring eight goals and nine points in 70 games.

Kiviranta is perhaps best known for his playoff exploits, something Avalanche fans are all too familiar with. He scored five points in 15 games on the Stars’ run to the Western Conference Finals last season. He also made headlines in the 2019-20 playoffs when he, as a rookie, scored a hat trick in Game Seven against the Avalanche, eliminating them from the Western Conference Semifinals in overtime.

Now, Kiviranta finds himself on the other side of things as a key AHL contributor for the Eagles. Now that he’s signed this NHL deal, he’ll have a chance to play in the NHL this season in Colorado.

AHL’s Colorado Eagles Sign Joel Kiviranta, Peter Holland

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After attending Colorado Avalanche training camp on professional tryouts, forwards Joel Kiviranta and Peter Holland have inked one-year contracts with their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Both players have significant NHL experience, although Kiviranta’s is more recent, logging 70 games for the Dallas Stars last season.

Kiviranta, 27, had high hopes of securing a fourth-line job in the NHL, but he was passed over in favor of a Dallas teammate last season, Fredrik Olofsson. The Finnish winger notched a career-high eight goals last season but only registered one assist for nine points – poor production given his games played total and ice time (12:09 per game). He’ll now try and earn his way back to the sport’s highest level by taking on a significant role in the minors with Colorado. Kiviranta’s lone stint in the AHL came in 2019-20, recording 12 goals, 11 assists and 23 points in 48 games with the Texas Stars.

Holland was much less likely to earn an NHL job, so it’s fair to call this a successful tryout for the 32-year-old center who retired from hockey after the 2021-22 campaign. A 2009 first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, Holland last played in the AHL in 2018-19 before departing for overseas play the following season. He was always a strong producer in the minors, recording 222 points in 252 AHL contests across seven seasons, but couldn’t lock down a full-time NHL role outside of a three-year period with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Arizona Coyotes in the mid-2010s. Holland and Kiviranta will play vital roles to begin the season with the Eagles, who are without three projected regulars (Alex Beaucage, Jean-Luc Foudy, and Chris Wagner) due to injuries.

Joel Kiviranta Signs PTO With Colorado Avalanche

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Peter Baugh of The Athletic is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche have dipped their toes into the PTO waters once again as they have signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a professional tryout. The 27-year-old spent last season with the Dallas Stars where he registered eight goals and one assist in 70 games while playing 12:09 a night. Kiviranta joins Peter Holland who also signed a PTO with the Avalanche last week and will be looking to crack the team’s bottom six forward group and earn an NHL contract.

The native of Vantaa, Finland was signed by the Stars as an undrafted free agent back in May 2019 after he helped Finland earn a gold medal at the 2019 World Championship. He dressed in 11 NHL games the following season scoring just a single goal before dressing in 26 games in 2020-21 where he scored a career high 11 points.

The next two seasons would see Kiviranta become an NHL regular, albeit one who couldn’t regularly crack the score sheet. In 126 games over the past two seasons, Kiviranta has posted a total of nine goals and seven assists while going -15. Obviously, his offensive numbers leave a lot to be desired but on the defensive side of the puck Kiviranta has posted 214 hits over the past two years, and last season posted terrific takeaway numbers with 29 takeaways and just 13 giveaways.

Kiviranta is unlikely to develop into much more than a 13th forward at this point in his career, but for a team starving for some sandpaper and depth, it makes sense for the Avalanche to take a free look at Kiviranta and see if he can help them out.

Dallas Stars Reassign Marian Studenic

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Feb 9: After just eight minutes of ice time, Studenic has been loaned back to the AHL.

Feb 8: The Dallas Stars have made a slight change to the roster, calling up Marian Studenic from the minor leagues. The move comes after Joel Kiviranta missed practice yesterday, and could indicate that someone is unavailable due to injury.

Studenic, 24, has been excellent for the Texas Stars this season, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 43 games. If he appears in a game for Dallas it would be his first of the season at the NHL level, but 42nd overall, after appearing 16 times for them in 2021-22.

Claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils nearly a year ago, Studenic has been right on the fringe of NHL rosters for years now. With the right opportunity, it seems likely that he could secure a role in the bottom-six, though a team like Dallas may have their sights set a little higher given their Stanley Cup aspirations.

For now, he’ll serve as some organizational depth and try to force his way onto the fourth line with some strong play. Dallas is back in action tonight against the Minnesota Wild in a key Central Division matchup.

Hintz, Lindell Added To COVID Protocol

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The Dallas Stars have two more names for the COVID list, as both Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell have been placed in the protocol. They join Jani Hakanpaa, who went in before Christmas, and Radek Faksa, Miro Heiskanen, Joel Kiviranta, Michael Raffl, and Jason Robertson who all entered yesterday. Two of the team’s support staff are also in the protocol.

Dallas is expected to return to action on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche, but like everywhere else in the league right now, that game could obviously be postponed at any moment. The Stars obviously have an outbreak of their own and are now down eight players from their active roster. That includes a huge swathe of defensemen, certainly making it difficult to field a competitive group in the coming days.

The team is practicing today but according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic, it is closed to the media. The team is also not holding any media availability for the time being as they try to get things under control.

Stars Place Five Players In COVID Protocol

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Dallas has returned from their holiday break with a sizable batch of COVID-positive tests as well.  The Stars announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Miro Heiskanen, center Radek Faksa, plus wingers Jason Robertson, Michael Raffl, and Joel Kiviranta have all been placed into COVID protocol along with two support staff members.  They will all now be out for at least the next ten days.

Heiskanen is obviously a significant loss as he is their top defenseman.  The 22-year-old has four goals and 14 assists in 28 games this season while leading the Stars in ATOI at 24:32 per game.  With Jani Hakanpaa also recently entering COVID protocol, Dallas will need to bring up a blueliner from AHL Texas.

They’ll also have to recall several forwards as they were down to 11 on the active roster with three of their active players entering protocol today (Kiviranta is currently on IR with an upper-body injury).  Robertson sits second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 15 assists in 23 games and is the only Star averaging more than a point per game on the season.  Faksa has been limited to just two goals in 27 contests but has won an impressive 57% of his faceoffs while Raffl has eight points in 28 games on the season.

Dallas is next scheduled to take to the ice on Wednesday against Colorado pending any other adjustments to the schedule.

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