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Pacific Notes: Raanta, Tuch, Roussel, Jurco

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It has been nearly eleven months since Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta last made an appearance in an NHL game and his delay will last a little longer.  The team announced that he has been assigned to AHL Tucson on a conditioning stint and that netminder Adin Hill has been recalled to take his place.  Raanta played in just two periods during the preseason before sustaining a lower-body injury so given how long he has been off, the move is certainly understandable.  As a veteran, Raanta would have had to consent to the loan to the Roadrunners.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • The Golden Knights announced that they have recalled defencemen Nic Hague and center Nicolas Roy from Chicago of the AHL. Vegas didn’t have enough cap space to make these roster moves so they’ve transferred winger Alex Tuch to long-term injury reserve.  He was injured late in the preseason and is listed as out on a week-to-week basis.  He’ll need to sit at least ten games or 24 days before being eligible to be activated.
  • Canucks GM Jim Benning told TSN 1040’s Jeff Paterson (Twitter link) that winger Antoine Roussel has been skating on his own for a while as he works his way back from knee surgery. However, he’s still expected to be out until late November.  Between now and then, he’s a candidate to be placed on LTIR if Vancouver needs to recall anyone due to injury as they have less than $170K in cap room to start the season, per CapFriendly.
  • Oilers winger Tomas Jurco is expected to miss tonight’s game against Vancouver after undergoing an undisclosed medical procedure, notes Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. It’s not expected to keep him out for long, however, as he will not be placed on injured reserve.  Jurco cracked Edmonton’s lineup in training camp after spending all of last season in the AHL on a minor league contract.

Kings Loan Jacob Moverare To SHL’s Frolunda HC

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Los Angeles Kings defensive prospect Jacob Moverare is on the move. After being cut from Kings camp and assigned to Ontario of the AHL on Saturday, the Swedish Hockey League’s Frolunda HC announced today that the 20-year-old blue liner will join their team for the remainder of the season. Moverare has played the past two seasons in North America with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads, but will now return to his native Sweden for the foreseeable future.

While it is not out of the ordinary to see a loan of this kind for a young foreign player, the circumstances are somewhat unique. Moverare is not a stranger to the SHL, skating in four games at the top level as a teenager in 2015-16; however, he was brought up in the developmental system of HV71. By now joining Frolunda, it seems likely that Moverare and his agent were given permission to negotiate a new contract in SHL, rather than simply re-joining his old squad. In Frolunda’s press release, Moverare acknowledges that he worked out with the team this summer and felt comfortable skating with the squad this year.

Moverare’s loan should not be considered any indication that he won’t be back in North America in the future. The 2016 fourth-round pick has shown considerable ability and is simply a victim of the numbers game for L.A. Moverare, a right-shot, puck-moving defenseman, plays a strong, competitive game and is known for his vision and positioning on the ice. In Mississauga, Moverare was a productive player who often paired with Vegas Golden Knights prospect Nic Hague to form a formidable duo. However, after missing time last season due to injury, the Kings made the decision that the best thing for his development this year would be guaranteed ice time, which may have been hard to come by with Ontario. Los Angeles has 16 other defensemen under contract, and even with seven or eight slated for L.A., it would have left at least nine in Ontario prior to Moverare’s loan. Rather than compete for ice time with NHL-ready prospects like Daniel Brickley, Kale Clague, and Alex Lintuniemi or veterans such as Kurtis MacDermid and Paul LaDue, it makes more sense for Moverare to spend the season with Frolunda, where he will likely have a regular top-six role.

Nic Hague, Michael McLeod Heading To AHL

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After the Mississauga Steelheads were eliminated from the OHL playoffs, two of their best players are headed to the AHL to test their skills. Vegas Golden Knights prospect Nic Hague is on his way to the Chicago Wolves, while New Jersey Devils pick Micheal McLeod is joining Binghamton.

Hague was selected in the second round by the Golden Knights after falling a bit in the draft, but has taken another step forward this season. With 35 goals and 78 points in 67 games, the 19-year old defenseman led the Steelheads in scoring and skated huge minutes for them all season long. His 6’6″ frame is used to effectively move attackers off the puck in the defensive zone, while his long reach and active stick routinely cuts off passes. Jumping into the rush and taking plenty of shots from the point, there are still some warts in Hague’s game as he can get caught of position. With some strong coaching at the next level though, there is huge upside to his game as a future NHL player.

McLeod on the other hand has had a disappointing season for Mississauga, after battling injury to start the year. While 44 points in 38 games still puts him as one of the more effective players on the team, his breakaway speed and dynamic puck control have been absent at times. Those skills are the ones that made him the 12th-overall pick in 2016, and ones that could make him a star in the NHL down the road. McLeod did find his game somewhat in the playoffs, scoring some big goals as the Steelheads tried to fend off elimination. If he can continue to get back to what made him such a high pick, there’s a chance the 20-year old forward could be in New Jersey as soon as the fall.

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