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Nate Prosser

Metropolitan Notes: Lindblom, Flyers, Sorokin, Islanders, McMichael

July 26, 2020 at 3:01 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers announced their 31-man roster for the upcoming Qualifying Round with one name that stands out significantly as the team kept forward Oskar Lindblom on the roster despite talk that they team might wait until the 2020-21 season before returning the young forward on the ice after being diagnosed and treated for Ewing’s sarcoma in December.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the 23-year-old will be amongst the starters on the ice for the Flyers when the team returns to play, but to just be on the roster is quite an accomplishment for the young forward, who recently signed a three-year extension with the team. He could be a valuable substitute if injuries arise for the team after tallying 11 goals in 30 games before being diagnosed with cancer.

The team had a few other noteworthy players when it came to their roster. The team cut Carsen Twarynski, German Rubtsov, Tyler Wotherspoon and Nate Prosser from their training camp roster. However, the Flyers did keep undrafted prospect Egor Zamula on their roster, who played in just 28 junior games in the WHL last season, but dominated on the international stage.

Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi also reported that goaltender Carter Hart participated in his first full team practice Saturday since he left Tuesday’s scrimmage midway through the game with back spasms. The goalie claims that he expects to be 100 percent in time for their first game against Boston on Aug. 2.

  • The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes that general manager Lou Lamoriello said that while newly signed KHL goaltender Ilya Sorokin is not eligible to play in the 24-team tournament, the netminder is expected to join the team in Toronto to get acclimated to his new team. Sorokin has been quarantining on Long Island and will join the team in Toronto once he has passed all his COVID-19 protocols.
  • Staple also released the Islanders playoff roster, which did not include several of the Islanders top AHL prospects. The team left behind forwards Kieffer Bellows, Oliver Wahlstrom, defenseman Grant Hutton and goaltender Jakub Skarek. Bellows was a bit of a surprise after a solid NHL debut in eight games this season.
  • No major surprises on the Washington Capitals roster, although the Capitals have decided to keep 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael on their roster, although it’s more likely to give the 19-year-old a chance to soak in the playoff atmosphere in hopes he might be able to eventually challenge for a roster spot in 2020-21. McMichael is coming off an impressive season in the OHL with a breakout 47 goals and 102 points with the London Knights.

Carter Hart| Connor McMichael| German Rubtsov| Ilya Sorokin| Nate Prosser| Oskar Lindblom| Philadelphia Flyers| Washington Capitals

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Andy Welinski Placed On Waivers By Philadelphia

October 15, 2019 at 11:05 am CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

Tuesday: Welinski has cleared waivers and will head to the Phantoms.

Monday: The Philadelphia Flyers likely planned to have free agent addition Andy Welinski hit the waiver wire just before the start of the regular season, when waivers is saturated with talent and teams are not as likely to make an addition to their roster. However, Welinski suffered a lower-body injury in training camp and began the year on the Flyers’ injured reserve. Finally healthy, the team is forced to place Welinski on waivers now, as reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, in order to send him to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. With NHL teams having two weeks of games to look at as well as injury losses in need of a response, it’s fair to wonder if Welinksi will clear waivers.

Welinksi, 26, hit the open market this summer as a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. A standout for his hometown University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, Welinksi enjoyed a full four-year collegiate career before signing with the Anaheim Ducks, who had selected him in the third round in 2011. In his first two pro seasons, Welinski only played in seven games for the Ducks, instead producing at a high level as a top defenseman for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. However, in 2018-19, Welinski became a valuable depth piece on the Anaheim blue line. His split his season between the parent club and farm team, skating in 26 games for the Ducks and recording four points. However, even with his emergence as an NHL option for Anaheim, he was still far short of the 80 games needed by age 25 to remain a restricted free agents. Welinksi opted to take his talents to Philadelphia, where a young defense corps undergoing an overhaul offered the potential for another NHL opportunity.

The question now is whether Welinski’s next appearance at the top level will be with Philadelphia or elsewhere. Although the Phantoms feature other NHL veterans, such as Nate Prosser and T.J. Brennan, Welinski would likely be the next man up in the event of an injury in Philly. However, other teams may be willing to offer him a depth role right away. Given the injuries to Niklas Hjalmarsson in Arizona and Adam Larsson in Edmonton, not to mention the depth concerns in Winnipeg and New Jersey, that is already four teams that could consider taking a flier on Welinski. He may not be a household name or even an established NHLer at this point in career, but for now he’s a free option with demand for defense on the rise.

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Elliotte Friedman| Injury| Nate Prosser| Philadelphia Flyers| Waivers

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Philadelphia Flyers Sign Several Depth Players

July 1, 2019 at 12:15 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers have added a good amount of depth to the organization today, signing six players:

  • Andy Andreoff has signed a two-year contract with an average annual value of $750K
  • Kurtis Gabriel has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level.
  • Nate Prosser has signed a two-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $700K at the NHL level.
  • Andy Welinski has signed a one-year contract worth $750K.
  • Tyler Wotherspoon has signed a two-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $700K at the NHL level.
  • Jean-Francois Berube has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level.
  • Chris Bigras has signed a two-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $700K at the NHL level.
  • Kyle Criscuolo has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level.

Andreoff should provide some bottom-sixth depth as he has 159 games of NHL experience with the Los Angeles Kings. However, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Peter Budaj last June, and lacked the firepower to break into the Lightning’s lineup. He was sent to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, where he produced 26 goals and 55 points, while amassing 150 penalty minutes. The 26-year-old Gabriel also has quite a bit of NHL experience, but scored just two goals in 22 games for the New Jersey Devils last season, while also scoring just two goals in 32 games for the Binghamton Devils in the AHL. The 27-year-old Criscuolo spent all of last season with the Sabres affialiate in Rochester where he scored six goals and 20 points in 43 games.

The 33-year-old Prosser has spent most of his career with the Minnesota Wild, albeit a one-game appearance with the St. Louis Blues back in the 2017-18 season before they traded him back to the Wild. However, the defenseman spent most of last season with Iowa in the AHL and likely will stay in Lehigh Valley this season. Welinski could provide more value as a depth defenseman as the 26-year-old played in a career-high 26 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season, while showing off some offense while playing with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, scoring eight goals there. However, he was never able to fortify a full-time role with the Ducks. The 26-year-old Wotherspoon, a former second-round pick in 2011, has spent the last two years in the AHL where the blueliner has played for the Stockton Heat, and this year, the San Antonio Rampage. He hasn’t seen any NHL action in two seasons. The 24-year-old Bigras comes to Philadelphia from the New York Rangers where he played 52 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring three goals and 24 points.

The team did sign Berube to likely serve as a depth option in Lehigh Valley. The 27-year-old Berube started his career with the New York Islanders, but eventually moved on to Chicago and eventually Columbus. He has appeared in 34 NHL games, but spent all of last season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL where he finished with a 3.01 GAA and a .896 save percentage.

 

Andy Andreoff| Jean-Francois Berube| Nate Prosser| Philadelphia Flyers

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Free Agent Focus: Minnesota Wild

June 24, 2019 at 8:02 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

Free agency opens a week from today and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market, while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. The Wild have  few UFA’s to worry about, but there are a number of young RFA’s in need of new deals with little experience in Minnesota to go off of. Here’s a closer look at their free agent situation:

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Kevin Fiala – The lone return for center Mikael Granlund at the trade deadline, Fiala arrived in Minnesota with high expectations. Will the terms of his extension reflect that? Or will the team push for a short-term “show me” deal? That’s the question facing the former Nashville Predators top prospect, the No. 11 overall pick in 2014. Although he has 223 NHL games to his credit, Fiala played in only 19 games with the Wild and contributed just seven points. With that said, he still totaled 39 points on the year and had 48 points the season prior. Fiala is not eligible for salary arbitration yet, so does not have that added leverage, but on a long-term extension he could make a fair case for an AAV of $5MM+. A bridge deal would keep that number lower until Fiala can prove that his numbers in Nashville can be replicated in Minnesota.

F Ryan Donato – Like Fiala, Donato landed in Minnesota with much fan fare, both as the core return for Charlie Coyle and as a decorated and talked-about rookie. While Donato had struggled early on in the season with the Boston Bruins, recording nine points in 34 games and frequently being exposed defensively, he excelled right away with the Wild, adding 16 points in 22 games. While that level of production might be a lofty expectation moving forward, the team is certainly excited to have Donato and could be looking into a long-term deal. With only 68 career games played though, Donato’s value is not as high as it would be after a full NHL season and his camp will probably settle for a one- or two-year deal with a low salary number to allow him to prove his worth in time for a new contract. Donato does have arbitration rights, but it would be a surprise if he files.

F Joel Eriksson Ek – While Eriksson Ek played in 17 fewer games this season than last, he scored at a higher per-game clip, saw more ice time, and improved his defensive play. At 22, Eriksson Ek is still growing, but his production thus far leaves a lot to be desired from a recent first-round pick. Through 148 NHL games over three seasons with the Wild, Eriksson Ek has just 37 points and still has yet to really carve out an identifiable role. Minnesota won’t quit on him just yet, but they may try to sign him to his one-year, $874K qualifying offer to see if one more year helps to clarify his long-term fit and potential.

Other RFAs: F Pontus Aberg, D Louie Belpedio, D Michael Kapla, F Chase Lang, F Dante Salituro, D Carson Soucy, F Nico Sturm, D Hunter Warner

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Eric Fehr – The veteran Fehr did well for himself last season, returning to relevance after many had written him off following uninspiring stops in Pittsburgh, Toronto, and San Jose over the few years prior. Fehr signed a one-year, $1MM contract with the Wild last summer and proved to be a good value, recording 15 points and playing an important defensive role up front. The 33-year-old played in 72 games and, despite pedestrian minutes, still managed to finish second among all Minnesota forwards in blocked shots and sixth in takeaways. Fehr was a reliable penalty killer and an asset at the face-off dot, especially considering his team-leading 68% defensive zone starts. Age hasn’t affected Fehr’s size and defensive instincts, so he will be valued as a veteran fourth line option on the market. Still, after other recent stints did not work out so well, one has to think that Fehr may be willing to stick at or near his current price point to remain in Minnesota, where he has the best chance of continuing to play his game at the highest level.

D Nate Prosser – After Prosser failed to find a role in Minnesota last year, heading down to AHL Iowa with just 15 games and no points to show for his season to date, some wondered if he would ever end up back in the NHL. Yet, Prosser took full advantage of his minor league opportunity, recording eight points in 31 games but more importantly playing a shutdown role and showing leadership on the ice en route to a deep playoff run. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that the showing has done Prosser some good, as the 33-year-old has drawn “lots of attention” from prospective suitors. The only time in his career that Prosser strayed from Minnesota – a brief and failed stint with the St. Louis Blues – he wound up back with the Wild that same year. It’s fair to assume that he’ll entertain other offers this off-season though, as Minnesota already has seven defenders signed to one-way deals next season and Prosser’s opportunity to make an impact will likely be greater elsewhere.

Other UFAs: D Anthony Bitetto, F Landon Ferraro, G Andrew Hammond, F Cal O’Reilly, F Matt Read

Projected Cap Space: The Wild are in good shape financially, close to $20MM below the salary cap ceiling of $81.5MM and only Fiala among the free agents listed who could command a salary that will eat into that total very much. With that said, GM Paul Fenton and company will still need to be wise with their extensions to maximize the space they can use to explore the market and improve a roster that is going through a major overhaul.

AHL| Andrew Hammond| Anthony Bitetto| Arbitration| Charlie Coyle| Eric Fehr| Free Agency| Free Agent Focus| Joel Eriksson Ek| Kevin Fiala| Landon Ferraro| Louis Belpedio| Matt Read| Mikael Granlund| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser| Nico Sturm| RFA| Salary Cap

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Minnesota Wild Sign Brad Hunt To Extension

June 24, 2019 at 11:25 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

Monday: The Wild have officially announced the two-year $1.4MM contract.

Sunday: The Minnesota Wild have come to terms with one of their own, signing defenseman Brad Hunt to a multi-year agreement, according to The Athletic’s Mike Russo. Terms haven’t been disclosed, but Russo believes the deal is a two-year, one-way pact, likely worth $1.4MM ($700K AAV).

The 30-year-old Hunt came over to Minnesota from Vegas in a January trade and a swap of late draft picks. While having trouble finding consistent playing time with the Golden Knights over his season and a half with them, he immediately found himself with a more permanent role as a bottom-line defenseman with the Wild, especially with defenseman Mathew Dumba injured. An offensive-first defenseman and locker-room leader, Hunt tallied three goals and five points in 29 games in his short stint with Minnesota.

Hunt was to be an unrestricted free-agent on July 1, but the team decided it wanted to keep the veteran around as a sixth/seventh defenseman. With a blueline expected to be healthy this season, Hunt will have to fight for playing time with players like Nick Seeler and Greg Pateryn. The team still has a number of their own unrestricted free agents they could focus on before free agency kicks off on July 1, including Eric Fehr, Anthony Bitetto, Matt Read, Nate Prosser and Andrew Hammond, if they are interested in bringing any of them back.

 

Andrew Hammond| Anthony Bitetto| Brad Hunt| Eric Fehr| Free Agency| Greg Pateryn| Matt Read| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser| Vegas Golden Knights

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Minnesota Wild Owner Approves Of Seller Status At Deadline

February 14, 2019 at 4:18 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 3 Comments

In direct opposition to comments made earlier today by head coach Bruce Boudreau, who guaranteed his team would make the playoffs, the owner and general manager of the Minnesota Wild have made other plans. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that owner Craig Leipold has given first-year GM Paul Fenton the “green light” to move roster players before the trade deadline given the team’s current slump.

Russo writes that Leipold and Fenton met yesterday to discuss the state of the team. Minnesota has just one win in it’s past seven games since losing captain Mikko Koivu to season-ending injury and has slipped into the thick of the “turtle derby” for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Wild have fallen significantly behind the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues in the division and now hold on to the second wild card slot by a mere two points over the Vancouver Canucks with a game in hand. Behind Vancouver at 57 points sit the Arizona Coyotes, who are working toward full health, and the Colorado Avalanche, with their potent top line, both at 55 points and a game in hand on Minnesota. There’s also the Chicago Blackhawks at 55 points and even games and the Edmonton Oilers at 53 with a game in hand and a determination to make the postseason. The Wild are by no means guaranteed a playoff spot, even if they keep their current roster together or even make a minor addition or two, as an onslaught of other teams are within striking distance. In light of this situation, Leipold has given Fenton his approval to improve the Wild for the future if he can, even if that means hurting the team’s playoff odds.

So what exactly does this mean for Minnesota? Russo does not expect sweeping changes. He feels that Leipold and the Wild brass still feel that their Stanley Cup window is open, but without Koivu and Matt Dumba, the team’s odds of even making it to the postseason and through the first round are slim, never mind finally winning a title. The core players are likely safe, but Fenton will use his newly-granted flexibility to test the trade waters on his impending free agents and some other expendable pieces. Eric Staal is the player that will jump out to most; the respected veteran is in the final year of his contract and could help many contenders down the middle. Bottom-six forwards Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, and Matt Read and depth defenders Brad Hunt, Anthony Bitetto, Nate Prosser, and Matt Bartkowski are all impending UFA’s and should all be up for grabs as well. Among signed players, rumor mill regular Charlie Coyle and buried bruiser J.T. Brown are also obvious names to watch. Russo quickly examines the trade status of much of the roster and settles on Greg Pateryn and Marcus Foligno as possible outside-the-box casualties as well.

There isn’t going to be a fire sale in Minnesota, but no longer are the Wild going to be considered buyers. Perhaps a strong showing by the team in the six games between now and the deadline – four of which are against non-playoff teams – will even convince Fenton to stand pat and hope they can hold on to a wild card spot. However, if Minnesota cannot shake this slump, then Staal and any of the other marketable players mentioned are likely to be gone ahead of the deadline. Perhaps that causes the Wild to miss the playoffs, perhaps it doesn’t, but when the odds are 50/50 as is, the team may as well get what they can for expiring and expendable pieces.

Anthony Bitetto| Brad Hunt| Bruce Boudreau| Charlie Coyle| Eric Fehr| Eric Staal| Greg Pateryn| Injury| J.T. Brown| Marcus Foligno| Matt Bartkowski| Matt Dumba| Matt Hendricks| Matt Read| Mikko Koivu| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser

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Minnesota, Ottawa Put Three Players On Waivers

February 4, 2019 at 11:02 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Monday: All three players have cleared waivers and can now be sent to the minor leagues.

Sunday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators put three players on waivers Sunday as the Wild placed defenseman Nate Prosser and winger J.T. Brown on waivers, while the Senators put winger Nick Paul on waivers as well. Friedman also reported that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Martin Marincin and Buffalo Sabres’ Remi Elie both cleared waivers.

Loaded with eight defensemen after the team traded for Brad Hunt and claimed Anthony Bitetto off waivers from Nashville, the Wild had to add some roster flexibility. Wild general manager Paul Fenton is starting to get more active as this is the sixth roster move the team has made in less than three weeks. The team had no choice to make a move and still have two of their top young players, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin sitting in Iowa, awaiting a recall since the All-Star break.

For Prosser, the move likely means the end of the line in Minnesota. The Wild also have defenseman Matt Dumba on IR currently and while he’s not expected back too soon, the team does expect him back at some point this season, meaning they had to make some move. The 32-year-old veteran was a great locker-room presence, but he has appeared in just 15 games this season and hasn’t registered a point. Prosser has played most of his career in Minnesota since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He did opt to sign in St. Louis before the 2017-18 season, but only played one game for the Blues before the Wild claimed him off of waivers from him. He played 56 games for Minnesota last year. If he passes through waivers, which is no guarantee as many teams might be interested in a veteran defenseman, the team can opt to keep him on the roster or send him to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.

Brown makes his second trip to the waiver wire as Brown was put on waivers last year in January by the Tampa Bay Lightning and claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, playing in a bottom-six role for the Ducks. He then opted to sign with the Wild and has played sporadically, often being designated as a healthy scrtatch. He played in 35 games for Minnesota this year, posting a goal and four points.

As for Ottawa, NHL teams could find some interest in the 6-foot-4 Paul, who is still just 23 years old and has some potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t shown that in 20 games with Ottawa as he’s put up just one goal and two points, while averaging just 8:28 of ice time. He played just 5:17 against Pittsburgh Friday and if he clears looks like he’ll be headed back to Belleville of the AHL. Paul cleared waivers to start the season, but the team had to place him back on waivers to return him to the AHL. He has played 15 games there, posting two goals and 11 points.

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Anthony Bitetto| Brad Hunt| Buffalo Sabres| Elliotte Friedman| J.T. Brown| Joel Eriksson Ek| Luke Kunin| Martin Marincin| Matt Dumba| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser| Nick Paul| Ottawa Senators| Paul Fenton| Toronto Maple Leafs| Waivers

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Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild

January 24, 2019 at 8:27 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Central Division, here is a look at the Minnesota Wild.

First-year GM Paul Fenton said it himself today that the Wild “can’t trade draft picks” this year due to their lack of depth in the pipeline. Yet, did they not just trade a fifth-round pick for defenseman Brad Hunt a few days ago? Fenton’s message is clear that the team is worried about their lack of youth on the NHL roster and few elite prospects in the system. He surely does not intend for Minnesota to be a “buyer” in the traditional sense this year. However, there is no reason to think that all of the Wild’s draft picks and prospects are off the table.

Minnesota has quietly won eight of their past twelve games and, while the myriad other teams competing for the final spot in the Central Division or a wild card berth continue to struggle to make up ground, the Wild have pulled away with a three-point lead over the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. There are still many games left, but Minnesota is starting to differentiate themselves as a legitimate playoff team. With that status comes a need to strengthen the roster and address problem areas – especially the 24th-ranked offense – to make the most of a postseason opportunity. Perhaps Fenton and company can succeed in those goals with pure hockey trades, but odds are the team will warm up to moving more late picks or middling prospects if that’s what it takes.

Record

26-21-3, third in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$11.87MM of full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN or WAS 5th*, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
2020: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
* – Wild owe the Vegas Golden Knights the better of their two 2019 fifth-round picks in return for Brad Hunt

Trade Chips

If you believe what Fenton says, then the Wild will be unwilling to move their best trade capital this deadline season. While he namely is talking about high draft picks, that likely also includes top prospects like forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Luke Kunin, and Ivan Lodnia, defenseman Filip Johansson, and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen. The recent emergence of Jordan Greenway at the NHL level also makes him untouchable. If a team is looking to land a top young player for their rental at the deadline, they likely won’t find one from Minnesota.

However, Fenton’s willingness to make hockey trades – one-for-one player swaps – opens up many other possibilities. 26-year-old forward Charlie Coyle has long been a fixture on the trade block and this could be the year that the Wild finally move the two-way contributor and his team-friendly contract. The other roster forward that could garner considerable attention is 22-year-old Joel Eriksson Ek, who just can’t seem to find his way at the NHL level and could use a change of scenery. With defenseman Mathew Dumba potentially sidelined for the season, Minnesota would be hard-pressed to remain a factor in the Western Conference playoff race while also trading away any of their blue line regulars. However, AHLers Louie Belpedio and Carson Soucy could be intriguing options for rebuilding teams.

Outside of the pro ranks, some other prospects who could be on the move include Providence College forward Brandon Duhaime or London Knights defenseman Jacob Golden, but the Wild will likely be hesitant to move younger prospects if they don’t have to.

With every win, the Wild become less and less likely to entertain any offers for their own impending free agents. In what is already a buyer’s market, Minnesota is unlikely to get great value for their UFA’s and would be better served to hold on to them, whether that’s star veteran Eric Staal or valued depth like forward Eric Fehr, defenseman Nate Prosser, and goaltender Alex Stalock. One piece that could move is current third-string goaltender Andrew Hammond, if a contending team is willing to pay for depth in net.

Five Players To Watch For: F Charlie Coyle, F Joel Eriksson Ek, D Carson Soucy, F Mason Shaw, G Andrew Hammond

Team Needs

1) Scoring Winger: To Fenton’s credit, he has addressed many of Minnesota’s needs already, adding Hunt to improve defensive depth, trading for Victor Rask to add another capable center, and even grabbing Pontus Aberg to help improve scoring. However, the slumping Rask and unproven Aberg alone are not going to turn around one the league’s least impressive offenses, especially with Nino Niederreiter now gone. Outside of Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund, no Wild forward has wowed offensively this season. The team needs to add another goal-scoring forward, preferably a winger, and they need to do it this year if they want to compete with other contenders in the postseason. If Fenton wants to make long-term hockey trades, he could look at adding someone like the Los Angeles Kings’ Tyler Toffoli or the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider in a deal for a player like Eriksson Ek. If he comes around to the idea of an affordable rental, the Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello may be a better option, while the Ottawa Senators’ Ryan Dzingel or the Detroit Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist could also be fits. It will all depend on the asking price. If they can add two scoring wingers, even better.

2) Draft Picks: One thing is certain – Fenton’s assessment of the team’s pipeline is not wrong. The Wild lack almost any prospects who realistically project to be top NHL players and desperately need to reload the system with some talent. When it comes to moving pieces around, especially if they do opt to trade away impending free agents, Minnesota would be wise to continue to protect their own high draft picks while trying to add more valuable picks along the way.

AHL| Alex Stalock| Andrew Hammond| Brad Hunt| Charlie Coyle| Chris Kreider| Deadline Primer 2019| Eric Fehr| Eric Staal| Gustav Nyquist| Joel Eriksson Ek| Jordan Greenway| Kirill Kaprizov| Luke Kunin| Mats Zuccarello| Mikael Granlund| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser| Nino Niederreiter| Paul Fenton| Prospects| Salary Cap

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Minor Transactions: 11/04/18

November 4, 2018 at 12:03 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

It could be a quiet day on the NHL docket today with just three games on the schedule, but many teams will start making moves as early as today for the upcoming week. Check back throughout the day to see what moves teams have made today.

  • The Minnesota Wild have announced they have recalled defenseman Nate Prosser from the Iowa Wild after playing two games there on a conditioning stint. Prosser is trying to work his way back into the lineup as he has appeared in just one game for the Wild and only played a total of three minutes. The 32-year-old averaged 13:26 of ATOI last season for the Wild.
  • The Washington Capitals announced they had assigned defenseman Aaron Ness to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Ness was recalled Thursday to fill in as a seventh defenseman as Brooks Orpik was out of the lineup. With Ness returning to Hershey, that likely suggests that Orpik may be ready to return to the lineup. The 28-year-old Ness has played 11 games for the Bears this year, posting four assists.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have brought up center Sam Carrick, per a team release.  It’s his first stint with the big club this season after he cleared waivers late in September.  The 26-year-old has nine points in eight games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls while leading the team in goals and points.  If Carrick gets into a game with the Ducks, it will be his first NHL action since 2015-16.

Aaron Ness| Anaheim Ducks| Brooks Orpik| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser| Transactions| Washington Capitals

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Minor Transactions: 11/02/18

November 2, 2018 at 11:08 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

NHL action in Finland is back on the schedule for this afternoon, following Patrik Laine’s hat trick yesterday in front of his home country. Aleksander Barkov will try to get some revenge as the Florida Panthers look to split the European series. The rest of the NHL, save for four teams playing later this evening, will be assessing their rosters and making any moves necessary for the weekend. We’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here.

  • Nate Prosser has been sent back to the minor leagues on a conditioning stint by the Minnesota Wild, given he’s only played three minutes of ice time the entire season. Prosser dressed as the seventh defenseman two weeks ago, but hasn’t seen any game action since. He’ll try to change that by getting into a back-to-back-to-back series with the Iowa Wild starting tonight.
  • Connor Carrick has been placed on injured reserve by the Dallas Stars, meaning Dillon Heatherington will get his first chance of the season. Heatherington played six games with the Stars last season and is off to a strong start in the AHL, with four points in his first ten games for the Texas Stars. The 23-year old defenseman was selected 50th overall in 2013, but is still trying to establish himself as a full-time piece with Dallas.
  • Rookie forward Jack Rodewald is on his way back to Ottawa. The Senators have recalled Rodewald from their AHL affiliate in Belleville just one day after sending him down. Rodewald, 24, has logged limited minutes on the fourth line for Ottawa simply as forward depth while the team awaits the return of Zack Smith.

AHL| Connor Carrick| Dallas Stars| Dillon Heatherington| Jack Rodewald| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser| Ottawa Senators| Transactions

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