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Micheal Ferland

Minor Transactions: 12/16/18

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Alex Ovechkin scored again for the Washington Capitals last night, his seventh goal in his last three games and likely a spot on the Three Stars list this week. The superstar forward now has 29 goals in 32 games this season and is setting new career highs of one sort or another nearly every night. Now 33, Ovechkin sits 15th all-time in NHL goals and could very well pass Dave Andreychuk in the next few games. While we wait to see his next trick, stick right here to follow all the minor moves around the league.

  • The New York Rangers recalled Boo Nieves last night in preparation of their afternoon tilt with the Vegas Golden Knights today. Nieves has seven points in 12 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, but has yet to make his NHL debut this season. The 24-year old has just 29 games under his belt at this level and is still looking for a real opportunity to show what made him a second-round pick in 2012.
  • After the team’s 4-3 overtime loss to Vegas Sunday, the Rangers made more moves as they announced they have recalled goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the Hartford Wolf Pack, while assigning Matt Beleskey and Dustin Tokarski to the AHL team. Georgiev has split time between the Rangers and Hartford, but the 22-year-old has struggled in both places so far this year. Beleskey has appeared in four games this month and has a goal, while Tokarski has yet to make an appearance for the Rangers this season.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer and Stefan Elliott to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. That likely suggests that Ottawa is close to getting back Mark Borowiecki and/or Dylan DeMelo back from injury. Burgdoerfer appeared in three games on this callup, while Elliott appeared in two games and had an assist.
  • After the team’s 3-0 victory over Arizona today, the Carolina Hurricanes have assigned three players to the AHL as the team announced that goaltender Scott Darling and forwards Clark Bishop and Janne Kuokkanen have been returned to the Charlotte Checkers. With Carolina not playing again until Thursday, the team may just be giving playing time to all three, although the team might also have the hope that Micheal Ferland, Jordan Staal and Curtis McElhinney might all be healthy enough to play then.
  • The Minnesota Wild have returned winger Luke Kunin to Iowa of the AHL, per the AHL’s Transactions Page.  He played in three games with Minnesota after being recalled earlier in the week, averaging just shy of 13 minutes per night of playing time.  However, with both Mikko Koivu and Jason Zucker expected to return on Tuesday, there’s no longer a spot in the lineup for Kunin.  He’ll return to Iowa where he sits fifth in scoring with 15 points in 21 games.

Jordan Staal Placed On IR, Janne Kuokkanen Recalled

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The Carolina Hurricanes were given a sharp wake-up call last night when they fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1, and have made a move to try to spark their offense. The team has recalled minor league forward Janne Kuokkanen from the Charlotte Checkers, while moving Jordan Staal to injured reserve. Staal’s stint on IR will be retroactive to December 5th, the last time he played before suffering a concussion.

Micheal Ferland was also removed from last night’s game in the first period after he experienced some minor symptoms, though Darren Dreger of TSN notes that they may not have necessarily been linked to the concussion that has held him out of the lineup recently. Ferland was in his first game back since the injury.

Despite having some of the strongest possession metrics in the league, the Hurricanes can’t seem to finish many of their scoring opportunities this season and now sit second last in the league in goals for. 72 tallies through 29 games is just not enough to compete for a playoff spot, something Kuokkanen will try to help with. The young forward has 11 goals and 27 points in 26 AHL games this season and has looked dominant at times for the Checkers. He played four games for the Hurricanes last season but is still looking for his first NHL point.

Snapshots: Nielsen, Ferland, Senators

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With Seattle being officially announced as the upcoming 32nd franchise in the NHL, teams are already starting to prepare for an upcoming expansion draft. While the Vegas Golden Knights will be exempt from the draft, June 2021 will be a focus for all other 30 teams. One of the most notable rules as we move towards the process is the one surrounding no-movement clauses and their automation protection. Teams’ ability to protect their young skaters will hamstrung by these clauses, and could force them into a trade with Seattle.

The Detroit Red Wings were one of these teams, as it appeared that Frans Nielsen had a no-movement clause that would force protection despite him nearing the end of his playing career by the time the draft rolls around. CapFriendly today reported that they had been mistaken previously when listing Nielsen with that clause, as it actually expired at the end of last season. Nielsen now only holds a modified no-trade clause, which does not have the same restrictions in the draft process.

  • Micheal Ferland has been activated by the Carolina Hurricanes, as he has fully recovered from his recent concussion. The forward still leads the Hurricanes in goals this season despite his four-game absence, and will try to step right back into the top-six role he’d shown the aptitude for. The physical, skilled forward is the only player on Carolina with double digit goals this season, something they’ve sorely lacked all year. Ferland is also a pending unrestricted free agent that carries just a $1.75MM cap hit this season, and will be very appealing to many teams at the deadline if Carolina drops out of the race.
  • Ian Mendes of TSN recently looked at the history of eight-year extensions and when they were usually signed, noting that the Ottawa Senators are approaching “uncharted territory” if they still intend on signing long-term deals with Matt Duchene and Mark Stone. Both players are pending unrestricted free agents and could very well be among the highest-paid players on July 1st. The Senators meanwhile will have to consider long and hard on whether they want to hand out huge extensions during the very early stages of their current rebuild.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Alex Nedeljkovic

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As if the Carolina Hurricanes haven’t had enough goaltending problems this season, the team has seemingly lost Curtis McElhinney for tonight’s matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. The team today recalled Alex Nedeljkovic from the minor leagues, while placing Micheal Ferland on injured reserve. McElhinney left yesterday’s practice early, though there was no update yet from head coach Rod Brind’Amour. With Scott Darling down in the minors already, tonight’s start will likely go to Petr Mrazek.

Nedeljkovic, 22, was a high draft pick for the Hurricanes, selected 37th overall in 2014 out of the OHL. At the time he was coming off an outstanding season with the Plymouth Whalers, but has since struggled a bit to find much consistency. He never did repeat his 2013-14 numbers as he found himself in two other OHL organizations to finish his junior career, and then had minimal success in his first year as a professional. Despite making his NHL debut during the 2016-17 season, he spent time in the ECHL trying to develop his game.

When watching Nedeljkovic, it’s easy to see why scouts still believe he can be an NHL goaltender. His agility in the crease allows him to make some highlight reel saves, and there is an innate ability to battle through traffic and find the puck. Unfortunately, his quick movements can also sometimes get the better of him and over the last season and a half he’s struggled to put up exceptional statistics in the minor leagues. Those stats may be a bit misleading though, as Nedeljkovic always seems to find a way to win for the Charlotte Checkers and may actually be better suited to the NHL in the long run. It seems unlikely that he’ll get another chance right away, but if McElhinney’s injury is anything more than a few days we could see the Hurricanes turn to their young netminder.

Micheal Ferland Diagnosed With Concussion, Out Indefinitely

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The Carolina Hurricanes were already dealing with a concussion to young defenseman Haydn Fleury, and will now be without another one of their key players due to a brain injury. Micheal Ferland has been diagnosed with a concussion and is out indefinitely until he is given medical clearance to return.

Ferland, who came over from the Calgary Flames as part of the Elias Lindholm–Noah Hanifin trade, has played exceptionally well for the Hurricanes in the early going. The team’s leading goal scorer through the first quarter of the season, Ferland has been dangerous on both the powerplay and at even-strength and will be sorely missed while he deals with a concussion. The Hurricanes were already missing a true goal-scoring talent to go along with their solid stable of playmakers, and will now need someone else to step up in his absence.

The team recalled Clark Bishop yesterday and after losing Valentin Zykov on waivers and assigning Scott Darling to the minor leagues, now have two available roster spots on the NHL squad even without moving Ferland to injured reserve. That would suggest the team has some recalls planned, though it doesn’t seem like anyone is on their way up before tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes will leave for a west coast road trip after the game, which will almost certainly require at least two more healthy players just as insurance.

Trade Rumors: Hurricanes, Hayes, Pearson

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The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the biggest early surprises of the 2018-19 season with a 6-3-1 record that trails only the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division. The team is in the top half of the league in goals for and against, led by top-ten NHL scorer Sebastian Aho and a top-six on defense that rivals anyone in the league. The Hurricanes are certainly not without flaws, special teams and goaltending to highlight a couple, but overall have been very impressive with one of the youngest rosters in the league. Yet, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that new GM Don Waddell is “open for business”. Given the surplus of talented defenseman on the Carolina roster and in the system, Waddell simply has the luxury of fielding offers from D-needy teams and waiting for the right offer. Potentially on the block could be long-time ’Cane Justin Faulk, young Brett Pesce, or reliable Trevor van Riemsdyk. Each of Carolina’s top-six defensemen is signed through at least next season, making these three righties attractive long-term additions. Teams in search of a younger asset could also take a look at AHLers Haydn Fleury or Roland McKeown, long considered by many to be players that should be playing regular minutes in the NHL. Garrioch notes that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are among the teams most desperate for help on the right side of the blue line and adds fuel to the fire by reporting that Toronto GM Kyle Dubas was in attendance at the ’Canes last game. It has been rumored that Carolina could be the leading candidate to land disgruntled William Nylander, while Edmonton could be willing to part with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the right deal. Waddell’s first trade, in which he acquired Micheal Ferland and Dougie Hamilton from the Calgary Flames, has worked out nicely thus far. Can he do it again?

  • It comes as no surprise that New York Rangers center Kevin Hayes is drawing trade interest. Despite his insistence that he would like to remain in New York, the one-year extension he signed this off-season said otherwise. The rebuilding Rangers are likely to deal Hayes, one of many younger centers on the roster, before he has the chance to walk as a free agent. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that many teams already have their eye on Hayes, implying that he may not last until the NHL Trade Deadline. Kypreos specifically names the Winnipeg Jets as a team in need of a center, after Paul Stastny’s unexpected departure this summer has left them short-handed down the middle. However, the Jets are not alone in that predicament; after losing Riley Nash to free agency and a failed preseason competition for the spot, the Boston Bruins could very much use a rental player at third-line pivot, while the trades of three different centers away from the club this summer has left the Arizona Coyotes thin at the position. These are just three of what is likely to be a list of more than a dozen suitors for the Rangers to choose between. Hayes’ days are numbered in New York.
  • One name that could be a sneaky candidate to be the first notable trade victim of the regular season is Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson. The Kings are floundering this season, holders of the worst record in the Western Conference, and Pearson has been part of the problem. The 26-year-old winger has just one point through ten games and has looked like a shell of himself. In Pearson’s defense, the Kings have also cut his ice time somewhat and relegated him to the fourth line for a while, but only as a result of his poor performance. Yet, Pearson has totaled 36 points or more in each of the past three year and is quietly a very strong two-way player. It would not be a shock to see Pearson right the ship with a change of scenery, but the Kings would have to ensure that they don’t sell too low on the well-rounded forward. Trade inquiries come with the territory of a basement record though and L.A., needing to shake things up, may soon be tempted to give Pearson away for the right price.

Metropolitan Notes: Johnson, Ferland, Boyd, Mayfield

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Ever since the injury to defenseman Justin Schultz, there have been rumors that the Pittsburgh Penguins may have to upgrade their defense if they wanted to make a serious run for a Stanley Cup. Regardless, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford stated that the team has enough depth to fill the hole in their defense from within.

Yet rumors continued, especially after defenseman Jack Johnson was found to be on the ice for five goals against in their 6-5 overtime victory Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers. Again, fans began clamoring to get help to lessen the role of Johnson, after he signed a questionable five-year, $16.25MM deal in the offseason. However, head coach Mike Sullivan was quick to come to Johnson’s defense, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“The reality is when you break down the involvement of those goals, he had no responsibility for any of those goals-against,” Sullivan said of Johnson’s performance against the Oilers. “He just happened to be on the ice for them. We try to look at the game a whole lot closer than the fact that guy is on the ice when a goal is scored because a lot can happen in a team game.”

Rutherford furthered that notion by reiterating that the team intends to stand pat with regards to adding more defense.

“I certainly don’t see us having to go get another defenseman with the group of guys we have,” Rutherford said. “We have guys in Wilkes-Barre who can come in and play on top of who we have here.”

  • While the Carolina Hurricanes made a number of moves this offseason, the team may be most happy with the play of Micheal Ferland, who came over in the trade with the Calgary Flames during the offseason. While the team’s main reason to bringing Ferland in was to add some toughness to a team that lacked it a year ago, the team seems to be getting quite a bit more than that out of him, according to Chip Alexander of the News & Observer. Ferland has found a place on the team’s top line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, and has a team-high six goals, along with 10 points. If Ferland keeps that up, he could break his career-high of 21 goals this season.
  • NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti writes Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said that Travis Boyd will have some tests tomorrow to determine the progress of his injury when he sustained a lower-body injury during training camp and was placed on LTIR. Because he was placed on LTIR, he was forced to miss 10 games, meaning he can be activated now if he’s healthy. “We’ll have him checked out again tomorrow and then see how close he is to being able to play as soon as Thursday,” Reirden said (via NBC Sports J.J. Regan). “But we still need to get some tests done and see exactly where he’s at. He’s been coming along and for the most part seems to be fairly pain-free.” Boyd made eight appearances with the Capitals last year and was battling with Nic Dowd for the fourth-line center position, but lost that job after getting injured.
  • New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that perhaps the biggest surprise on the roster has been the play of defenseman Scott Mayfield, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The 26-year-old has a goal and five points in seven games this season, but has really impressed the coach with his play even though Trotz admitted that he got off to a slow start at training camp.

Eastern Notes: Green, Murray, Neuvirth, Schneider, Ferland

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The Detroit Red Wings have been without defenseman Mike Green since the Traverse City portion of training camp ended when Green complained of fatigue. However, the worst of it is behind him, according to Red Wings’ general manager Ken Holland, who says that according to a infectious disease specialist, Green is “on the backside” of a viral infection, according to Detroit Free-Press’ Helene St. James.

While there is no firm timetable of a return, the team is preparing for the upcoming regular season without Green’s availability.

“Once he feels better, we’ll gradually start to push him a little bit and if his body doesn’t respond, we’ll back off and wait a few more days,” said Holland. “It’s sort of like concussion protocol – slowly see how a player responds. We have no time frame for when he will rejoin the team.”

The team will likely keep two of their four defensive prospects to open up the season for Detroit in Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek, Joe Hicketts and Libor Sulak. The Athletic’s Max Bultman (subscription required) handicapped each of the four blueliners chances of making the team.

  • Injuries continue to plague Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray, who has been out since Tuesday after getting kicked in between the legs in their preseason games against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline confirms it’s not a back injury, which has been an issue with him in the past, but a groin problem. He suffered a soft-tissue groin injury and could be out between a couple to a few weeks.
  • It doesn’t look like Philadelphia Flyers backup goaltender Michal Neuvirth will be ready for the regular season opener after injuring his groin on Friday, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. That likely means that the Flyers will start the season with Anthony Stolarz as the team’s backup to Brian Elliott, although Carchidi suggests that 20-year-old phenom Carter Hart is making a strong bid for the opening night roster. “There haven’t been many huge peaks or valleys in his play, and that’s a good place to start when you’re battling for an NHL job,” head coach Dave Hakstol said about the 20-year-old.
  • The Athletic’s Corey Masisak reports that New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider expects to go to Europe with the team for a preseason game in Bern, Switzerland, on Oct. 1. “We’ll see where it goes from there,” Schneider said. The 32-year-old goaltender, who is recovering from hip surgery practiced with the team’s second unit today and stayed on the ice for extra drills with Keith Kinkaid.
  • Michael Smith of NHL.com reports that Carolina Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland is dealing with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day, but head coach Rod Brind’Amour said he will hold Ferland out of the lineup for the rest of preseason.

Flames Notes: Hanifin, Goaltending, Smith, Valimaki

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After the Calgary Flames traded defenseman Dougie Hamilton to Carolina for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, don’t be surprised if Calgary fans compare Hamilton and Hanifin for years to come. That could put a lot of pressure on the 21-year-old Hanifin as the restricted free agent will try to acclimate himself to the Flames this season, according to NBC Sports’ James O’Brien.

Regardless, it’s far too early to compare the two players. While Hanifin had a breakout season last year, he still has the potential to take his game up another level. While his numbers inched a bit last year from 29 points to 32, a deeper look into his numbers suggests that he’s become more comfortable on offense as he more than doubled his goal total from the year before with 10 goals last year.

However, much of the comparisons could come down to whatever salary that Hanifin walks away with after he signs. If he signs a deal for $3MM per year, then everyone will look at the swap for Hamilton, who makes $5.75MM, as a better deal. However, if Hanifin walks away with an even bigger deal that might compare to Hamilton’s deal, then expectations for the blueliner will only increase.

  • Flames beat writer Ryan Pike suggests the team could have some cap trouble with its long-term plans, especially at the goaltending position. The team will have 13 players under contract in 2019-20 that make $5MM or more. With 36-year-old Mike Smith likely moving on after his contract runs out next season, the team may not have much cap room left to sign a respectable goalie. The team may hope that its goaltending pipeline of David Rittich, Jon Gillies and Tyler Parsons might help them out, but could be forced to look for another veteran in a year if none of them is ready to take over as a starter.
  • Another big question asked by NHL.com’s Aaron Vickers is what type of performance will the Flames get from Smith. The veteran started the season well for Calgary, posting a 2.39 GAA and 20 victories in the first half of the season. Unfortunately, Smith went down with a groin injury and missed 13 games in January and February and looked a shell of himself after that, putting up a 2-6 record in his final eight appearances with a 3.44 GAA. Assuming he’s fully healthy, however, the question even then remains whether Smith can hold up for another full season.
  • In another article, Vickers looks at the team’s top prospects and suggests that top prospect Juuso Valimaki has a good chance to win a roster spot out of training camp. Valimaki, the team’s 2017 first-round pick, had a solid season with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, but really stepped up his game in the playoffs when he tallied four goals and 17 points in 12 games. He has a tough road ahead of them, but if Calgary feels that he is better than third-pairing players like Brett Kulak and Michael Stone, Valimaki could bump either of them.
  • Pike also adds that with the buyout of Troy Brouwer, the Calgary Flames have now removed eight players from their 2017-18 opening roster, including Brouwer, Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski, Eddie Lack, Micheal Ferland, Freddie Hamilton, Matt Stajan and Kris Versteeg. While some of those moves came mid-season, the Flames needed some roster overhaul after their disastrous second half of the season.

Hurricanes Notes: Free Agents, Darling, Skinner, Tavares

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The Carolina Hurricanes have already made some noise this off-season, acquiring Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox from the Calgary Flames for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, but what else the team plans to do this summer remains a mystery. In speaking with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, GM Don Waddell indicates that they may simply stick with the status quo for now. Waddell confirmed that the team is not pursuing contracts with pending unrestricted free agents Cam Ward, Derek Ryan, and Lee Stempniak and expect all three to hit the open market on July 1st. Ward, the Hurricane’s long-time goalie, is rumored to be headed to the Chicago Blackhawks, while Ryan is expected to re-join former Carolina coach Bill Peters and his recently-traded teammates in Calgary. Stempniak’s name has not drawn much attention so far this off-season, as the veteran struggled in 2017-18 with nine points in 37 games. Waddell did not discuss recently non-qualified free agent forward Joakim Nordstrom, likely implying that they are moving on from him as well. Waddell also did not offer any updates on negotiations with restricted free agents Trevor van Riemsdyk, Lucas Wallmark, and Valentin Zykov.

  • Waddell did state that the team has no plans to move goalie Scott Darling and are committed to having him on the roster moving forward. The 29-year-old struggled in his first year with Carolina after signing a long-term contract last summer, but the team hopes that his second season as a starter will go smoother. However, Carolina is looking to add a goalie in free agency and have spoken to upwards of six candidates already. The question remains what type of goalie they are looking to bring in. A starter to compete with Darling could look like Robin Lehner, Kari Lehtonen, or Jaroslav Halak, while a steady backup could be Ondrej Pavelec, Chad Johnson, or a reunion with Anton Khudobin.
  • As of now, there is no imminent trade involving forward Jeff Skinner. Skinner’s name has been one of the hottest on the rumor mill and many speculated that the Los Angeles Kings signing Ilya Kovalchuk could be the domino that would lead Skinner to being dealt to a team that missed out on the sharp-shooting veteran. Instead, Waddell says that talks with other teams have been ongoing and they have seen some good offers, but haven’t been “comfortable” with accepting any of them. One has to wonder that if they could pull off a trade as big as the one during draft weekend but aren’t comfortable with “good” offers for Skinner, if they are even looking to trade the talented winger at all.
  • For any ’Canes fans out there still holding out hope that Carolina was a secret seventh team in on the John Tavares sweepstakes, Waddell confirmed that he has had no contact whatsoever with Tavares’ camp. The Hurricanes do have more than enough cap space to add a Tavares though, so perhaps Waddell will be active in free agency after all, but focused on other big names.

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