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Petr Mrazek

Chicago Blackhawks Re-Assign Lukas Reichel, Place Petr Mrazek On IR

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Dec 7: So much for that. Reichel has been returned to the AHL.

Dec 6: A top prospect is on his way up to the NHL. According to the AHL’s transactions log, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled forward Lukas Reichel from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs today. In a corresponding transaction, they also placed goalie Petr Mrazek on injured reserve retroactive to December 3, per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis.

The move comes as Jonathan Toews is set to miss tonight’s game with a non-COVID illness, so it’s feasible that Reichel doesn’t stay up long-term. However, the team’s 17th overall pick in 2020 again dominates the minors and could force the team’s hand.

For the second consecutive season, Reichel is operating at more than a point-per-game pace in the AHL and sits second on Rockford, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 19 games. With depth players like Jujhar Khaira and Colin Blackwell struggling to produce, Reichel might have the opportunity to get in a meaningful string of NHL action if he performs well tonight.

Mrazek is dealing with his second groin injury of the season, an issue that plagued him last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as well. Those injuries have limited the team’s presumptive starter to just nine games this year, and his .884 save percentage and 4.06 goals-against average are the worst among the team’s top three goalies. He can return as soon as this weekend.

West Notes: Iafallo, Dumba, Mrazek

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The Kings are expected to welcome back winger Alex Iafallo to the lineup on their upcoming road trip, reports Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider.  The 28-year-old suffered a lower-body injury back in mid-October after a strong start that saw him pick up at least a point per game in each of his first four contests and has been out since then.  Last season, Iafallo was tied for fifth on the team in goals (17) while finishing sixth in points with 37 and his return will give Los Angeles another proven forward in the middle six to bolster what has already been a strong offense this season with the team averaging just over 3.4 goals per game so far.  He skated on the third line in practice today and could be available as soon as Tuesday’s contest against Ottawa.

More from the West:

  • Matt Dumba’s future with the Wild has seemingly been in question for years now as trade speculation has been plentiful but he has always stuck around. However, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic feel (subscription link) that it will be different this time around and that Minnesota is likely to move the 28-year-old by the trade deadline in March.  Dumba has struggled this season and has just seven points in 24 games and with prospect Brock Faber not far away from being NHL-ready (he’s expected to turn pro after his college season ends), it’s possible that they’d eye him for Dumba’s spot, allowing them to reallocate his $6MM elsewhere.  Even with him struggling, Dumba would be an interesting addition to the trade block over the next few months.
  • Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek will be out at least a week after suffering a groin injury in last night’s contest against the Rangers, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The veteran is no stranger to dealing with groin trouble over his career although fortunately for him, this one appears to be a shorter-term issue.  The fact he’ll be out for at least a week will make him eligible to be placed on IR which would give Chicago an extra roster spot.  They had one available yesterday but used that to bring up goalie Jaxson Stauber earlier today.

Chicago Blackhawks Recall Jaxson Stauber

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The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled netminder Jaxson Stauber from their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.

This news comes after Chicago’s veteran starter, Petr Mrazek, suffered an injury in last night’s game against the New York Rangers.

With the team’s other veteran goalie, Alex Stalock, still sidelined with a concussion, this recall gives head coach Luke Richardson and the Blackhawks an extremely young goalie tandem, as both of his healthy netminders are 23 years old.

Stauber is in his first professional season after two successful seasons at Providence College. In six AHL games this year Stauber has an .892 save percentage.

While that’s obviously not a strong number, Stauber’s NCAA performance does indicate that he has some promise. In 37 games last season Stauber went 21-14-2 with a 2.10 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage.

The Blackhawks are back in action again tonight, and it’s possible that Richardson turns to his new call-up. But since Arvid Soderblom played just one period of action in relief of Stalock, it seems more likely that Richardson will turn to the more experienced name in order to not simply immediately thrust Stauber into the heat of battle.

Nonetheless, this move has put the 23-year-old Stauber in a position to make his NHL debut despite having just six total professional games played on his resume.

Chicago Blackhawks Activate Petr Mrazek; Waive Dylan Wells

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The Chicago Blackhawks have activated Petr Mrazek, while moving Alex Stalock to injured reserve. With a goaltender coming back, they have also placed the recently-signed Dylan Wells on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.

Mrazek, 30, has played just three games for the Blackhawks this season, posting a .873 save percentage so far. That performance is actually even worse than his dreadful 2021-22 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs which led the team to trade away a draft pick so Chicago would take on the rest of his contract.

He’ll now presumably take over as the team’s starter, though Arvid Soderblom has been excellent through his four appearances, posting a .924. Those Blackhawks fans hoping for a true tank and the best chance at the first-overall pick might want Mrazek starting every game, given the younger netminder’s impressive performance. That is of course if Soderblom is even healthy enough to play, given he left his last start after two periods.

Stalock, meanwhile, is still in concussion protocol after taking a hard hit from Casey Cizikas (who received a suspension for the play) a few days ago. It is not clear when he will return to action but his IR placement is retroactive to November 1, meaning he can be activated at any time.

Things worked out pretty nicely for Wells, who earned an NHL deal out of the situation and his debut at the highest level. The 24-year-old entered the game in relief of Soderblom and stopped 12 of 13 shots in his NHL debut. His placement on waivers suggests that Soderblom will be okay but the team has not updated that situation yet.

West Notes: Mrazek, Nieto, Meyers

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While Chicago was forced to convert Dylan Wells’ minor league agreement to an NHL deal earlier today, it seems like he won’t be around for long.  Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that Petr Mrazek might be a week away from returning to the lineup and it’s a light rest of the week for the Blackhawks.  He has been dealing with a groin injury for the last couple of weeks but with Alex Stalock and Arvid Soderblom both doing alright, there was no immediate need to try to rush him back and risk a recurrence which has plagued him in the past.  However, Mrazek indicated that the injury wasn’t as bad as last season which certainly is a good sign as he looks to re-establish himself after a tough showing with Toronto last year.

More from the West:

  • With the Sharks believed to be open to moving just about anyone, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News examines a handful of veterans that could be on the move. One candidate that might fly under the radar is winger Matt Nieto.  The soon-to-be 30-year-old has four points in 12 games so far this season while holding his own in a top-six role.  He wouldn’t have that role on a contender but a veteran making just $800K that can move up and down the lineup could be intriguing to some cap-strapped teams.  Accordingly, Pashelka posits that San Jose could do a little better than the fifth-rounder they received for Andrew Cogliano who was moved at the deadline last season.
  • The Avalanche sent Ben Meyers down to the minors a couple of weeks ago to get some playing time after having a very limited role with the big club earlier in the season. However, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays (Twitter link), the 23-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in his second game with the Eagles.  He’s hoping to get back on the ice within a week but this certainly isn’t helping his development in his first full professional season.

West Notes: Golden Knights, Boeser, Blackhawks

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It has been an eventful first few seasons in the NHL for the Golden Knights.  Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year but they haven’t made it back since while the team has made several shakeup trades plus a pair of coaching changes.  Despite the heavy turnover, owner Bill Foley told Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Sun that he has full confidence in the management team of GM Kelly McCrimmon and President of Hockey Operations George McPhee:

We’re a team. I’m 100% in with them and with Bruce. I didn’t get involved in this team to just be another team that goes along like a typical expansion team, winning 24 games in their first season, then win 30 the next season, make the playoffs in six or seven years.

We’ve been all-in from Day 1. I know a lot of fans are saying, “Gee, you’ve made so many changes.” It was all done with the design to win. That’s what we’re doing. George and Kelly are right there with me. I believe we’ve put together a solid group of solid core players.

With Robin Lehner being out for the season, expectations were a little lower heading into this year.  However, the tandem of Logan Thompson and Adin Hill has fared quite well so far with the Golden Knights allowing the fewest goals in the league heading into today’s action.  That has them in first in the Pacific in the early going but with only $16 in LTIR space left, they’ll be hard-pressed to add to their roster.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • On top of potentially getting Quinn Hughes back soon, the Canucks could also get some help up front as Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province relays (Twitter link) that winger Brock Boeser is expected to meet with team doctors on Monday in the hopes of being cleared to return. The 25-year-old has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury and was placed on IR on Wednesday.  He has to miss seven days and it doesn’t appear as if the placement was backdated so Tuesday’s game might not be doable for Boeser but it looks like his absence will be a short one.
  • Blackhawks defenseman Ian Mitchell was initially ruled out for six weeks with a hand injury that occurred nearly six weeks ago. However, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times notes (Twitter link) that the 23-year-old has just resumed stickhandling and is nowhere near a return.  Mitchell is in the final year of his entry-level deal and after spending most of last season with AHL Rockford, a longer-than-expected absence isn’t exactly the start to the year he was hoping for.  Meanwhile, goaltender Petr Mrazek has resumed skating but the team will be cautious and inch him along for the time being.

Chicago Blackhawks Place Petr Mrazek On Injured Reserve

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10/23/22: The Blackhawks have announced that Mrazek has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to October 21st. Per the announcement, Mrazek’s injury is a groin strain. Mrazek is unfortunately no stranger to groin injuries, and he has missed time due to similar ailments in the past. Given the relative lack of goaltending depth in Chicago, the team is no doubt hoping that Mrazek’s current groin injury is a minor one.

10/22/22: Staying healthy has been a challenge for Petr Mrazek throughout his 11-year NHL career.  The injury bug crept up again last night as head coach Luke Richardson told reporters including NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis that the veteran went to him after the second period and indicated he felt he had a small injury that warranted his removal from the game.  Alex Stalock came on in relief and the Blackhawks picked up the overtime victory.

However, with Chicago set to play their next game on Sunday, they needed to get a second healthy goalie on the roster so the team has announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Arvid Soderblom from AHL Rockford.  Mrazek hasn’t been placed on IR yet so the team needed to clear a roster spot for the youngster so defenseman Alec Regula was sent to the IceHogs.  NHL.com’s Tracey Myers relays (Twitter link) that Mrazek has a groin injury; he missed 20 games with that issue last season.

Soderblom is in his second season in North America and made three NHL appearances last year while having a strong season in Rockford, posting a .919 SV% in 38 games.  The 23-year-old has suited up twice in the minors this year.  As for Regula, he suited up in one of Chicago’s first four games this season and had 26 points in 41 games with Rockford last season.

Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Petr Mrazek

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The Blackhawks aren’t done. They’re back in the first round, acquiring the 25th overall pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as goaltender Petr Mrazek in exchange for the 38th overall pick. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported the trade, which has since been confirmed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. The trade creates an additional $3.8MM in additional salary cap space for the Maple Leafs over each of the next two seasons.

For the Blackhawks, who are entering the next phase of a full-scale rebuild, the trade gives the team their third first-round pick of the evening after entering the day with zero picks in the round. The team used the pick to select Sam Rinzel, a Minnesota high school defenseman who was projected to go in the middle of the second round. The interesting wrinkle to this selection is that Chicago may have been able to simply utilize the 38th overall selection they traded away to select Rinzel, however draft-floor chatter may have made Chicago move quicker than they had intended.

The deal is a no-brainer for Toronto, who was already tight on salary cap space, giving them some breathing room, and doing so at the cost of sliding down just 13 spots in the draft order. Mrazek struggled greatly this season, posting a 3.38 goals-against average and .888 save-percentage in 20 games, dealing with injuries and even being placed on waivers. One issue with the deal is is it leaves the Maple Leafs without either of the goalies they started their season with, as All Star Jack Campbell is set to hit the UFA market. However, this trade opens up room for the team to take a run at keeping Campbell in the fold, or at least find a replacement.

Toronto Maple Leafs Part Ways With Steve Briere

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It seems the chaotic season in the crease that was for the Toronto Maple Leafs has met a resolution. Sportsnet reports that the team is parting ways with long-time goalie coach Steve Briere, whose contract was set to expire this offseason.

The Maple Leafs brought Briere into the organization for the 2015-16 season as an unknown. Briere had spent the previous five seasons as the goalie coach for the Topeka Roadrunners in the NAHL, the second-most competitive American junior league. He’s proceeded to serve as Toronto’s goalie coach for seven consecutive seasons, but he won’t be back for an eighth.

Across the board, Maple Leafs goalies struggled this season outside of Jack Campbell, who was injured for a good portion of the regular season. Backup Petr Mrazek battled multiple injuries as well, but even when in the lineup, posted just a .888 save percentage, which was the first time he’d posted a sub-.900 save percentage in a season at the NHL level. Now, whether or not Briere’s coaching or Mrazek’s health was to blame for that performance is up for debate, but the team still felt like a change was necessary to get the most out of their netminders moving forward.

Toronto’s goaltending situation is incredibly murky next season, though, and adding a new goalie coach into the mix will heed a complete refresh in the crease. Campbell is an unrestricted free agent and it’s unclear whether the team will have the cap space necessary to retain his service, and they’ll certainly try to trade Mrazek and his $3.8MM cap hit. One of Erik Kallgren or Joseph Woll is sure to get a shot at a full-time NHL role to help keep the team’s cap hit down, and the team will need to select their next goalie coach carefully as to not put a wrench into their development.

Atlantic Notes: Fabbri, Mrazek, Harrison, Weber

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Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri is unsure if he’ll be able to return from his torn ACL in time for next season, relays Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  The 26-year-old underwent surgery in late March and recently was able to shed his crutches in April but as he knows from experience, it’s at least six months before he’ll have a chance at playing again.  This was the third ACL surgery of Fabbri’s career but the first on his right knee.  He will be entering the first season of a three-year, $12MM deal next season on the heels of a pretty good regular season aside from the injury as he had 17 goals and 13 assists in 56 games with Detroit last season.

More from the Atlantic:

  • The Maple Leafs have activated goaltender Petr Mrazek off LTIR, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). Mrazek suffered a groin injury in late March which pressed Erik Kallgren into duty with Jack Campbell still injured at the time.  While he didn’t dress in the second game of their series against Tampa Bay, his return to health will at least give them some extra depth between the pipes.  Mrazek had a 3.34 GAA and a .888 SV% in 20 games this season, his first with Toronto.
  • The Bruins have signed prospect center Brett Harrison to an ATO, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). The 18-year-old was recently eliminated in the OHL playoffs, paving the way for him to play in the minors with Providence in their playoff run.  Harrison was a third-round pick of Boston last year (85th overall) and he had a strong season with OHL Oshawa, notching 27 goals and 34 assists in 65 games with the Generals.
  • In an interview with TSN 690 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that an insurance issue prevented the Canadiens from moving Shea Weber’s contract to Arizona at the trade deadline. He cited there was some extra paperwork that had to be completed plus a payout; with so many moving parts in the hours leading up to the deadline, they basically ran out of time.  Dreger added that he believes a Weber trade will be able to be done this summer.  He has four years left on his deal with a $7.857MM AAV but just $6MM total in remaining salary over that span.
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