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Ryan Suzuki

Minor Transactions: 2/2/25

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With the AHL All-Star break now in effect, we could see an influx of paper transactions as teams look to bank an extra little bit of cap space.  We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here.

  • The Hurricanes continue their daily roster movement. They announced that they’ve assigned forward Ryan Suzuki to AHL Chicago while recalling blueliner Riley Stillman; the two have been trading places in recent days.  Despite the numerous recalls, Stillman has only suited up once this season with Carolina.  Suzuki, meanwhile, played his first two NHL games earlier this week.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see one or both of these players in another transaction in the near future.
  • The Lightning have returned goaltender Matt Tomkins to AHL Syracuse, per a team release. He has been recalled recently with Jonas Johansson banged up and could be back up if Johansson can’t return on Tuesday versus Ottawa.  The 30-year-old has a 2.87 GAA with a .900 SV% in 17 games with the Crunch this season.
  • The Bruins have assigned center Matthew Poitras and winger Vinni Lettieri to AHL Providence, per the AHL’s transactions log. This move is likely just a paper one to bank a bit of cap space with the two likely to be recalled for Tuesday’s game against Minnesota.  Poitras has a goal and eight assists in 23 games with Boston this season while Lettieri has two goals in eight outings at the NHL level.
  • The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they have assigned wingers Brad Lambert and Parker Ford to AHL Manitoba. Lambert has been up and down a fair bit lately but is still looking for his first NHL point after being held off the scoresheet in his four games with Winnipeg this season.  As for Ford, he scored in his NHL debut on Thursday so it won’t be surprising if he’s recalled before Tuesday’s contest against Carolina.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Riley Stillman, Ryan Suzuki

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Jan. 31st: The Hurricanes briefly reversed yesterday’s transaction this afternoon. Carolina announced that they reassigned Suzuki to AHL Chicago and recalled Stillman to the NHL roster. Suzuki went scoreless in 6:12 in his debut last night and picked up one hit.  However, after 4 PM CT, the team announced Suzuki’s recall again; by waiting until then to do so, he won’t count on their books until Saturday.

Jan. 30th: According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled 2019 first-round draft pick, Ryan Suzuki, ahead of tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. In a corresponding roster move, Carolina has reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

Suzuki, the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens’ captain Nick Suzuki, is the only player selected in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft who has yet to make his NHL debut. The Hurricanes will confirm their lineup closer to puck drop. Still, it is expected that Suzuki will take the place of Sebastian Aho, who is questionable for tonight’s matchup due to illness.

Injuries began afflicting Suzuki almost immediately upon joining the Hurricanes organization. He suffered a high stick in 2019 which left him with a permanent blind spot in one eye, and was slowed in his recovery due to his contracting COVID-19. He scored 12 goals and 12 assists in his first two years with AHL Chicago when he was limited to only 50 games overall.

Thankfully, the last three years have been much healthier for the London, Ontario native. He scored 27 goals and 62 points in 101 games between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 AHL seasons, spending last year with the Springfield Thunderbirds when the Hurricanes were without a direct affiliate.

The long road to his NHL debut has culminated in an All-Star-level performance this year. Suzuki has scored six goals and 30 points in 38 games for the Wolves, leading the playoff-likely team in scoring.

Aside from Suzuki’s feel-good story, Stillman will re-join the Wolves roster for the first time in a week. He skated in 7:40 of action against the New York Rangers on January 28th for his first NHL game since April 14, 2023, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres.

Waiver Wire: 10/6/24

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Today is the major day for the waiver wire as most teams in the NHL are preparing the 23-man rosters for the 2024-25 NHL season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that all players on waivers from yesterday have cleared. The following list is each player placed on waivers this afternoon as reported by PuckPedia.

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
G Brandon Bussi
G Jiri Patera
D Billy Sweezey
F Jeffrey Viel

Buffalo Sabres

D Kale Clague
G James Reimer
F Lukas Rousek

Calgary Flames

G Devin Cooley
F Jakob Pelletier
F Cole Schwindt

Carolina Hurricanes

F Josiah Slavin
D Ty Smith
F Ryan Suzuki

Chicago Blackhawks 

D Isaak Phillips

Detroit Red Wings

F Sheldon Dries
D Justin Holl
D William Lagesson
D Brogan Rafferty
F Joe Snively

Edmonton Oilers

D Josh Brown
F Drake Caggiula
F Raphael Lavoie
G Olivier Rodrigue

Los Angeles Kings

G Pheonix Copley
F Samuel Fagemo
F Jack Studnicka

Nashville Predators

D Marc Del Gaizo

New Jersey Devils

F Shane Bowers
D Nick DeSimone
F Nolan Foote
D Colton White

New York Islanders

D Samuel Bolduc
F Pierre Engvall
F Hudson Fasching
F Liam Foudy
G Marcus Hogberg
D Grant Hutton
F Fredrik Karlstrom
G Jakub Skarek

New York Rangers

D Matthew Robertson

Ottawa Senators

F Adam Gaudette
F Jan Jenik

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Sebastian Aho
F Bokondji Imama

St. Louis Blues

D Corey Schueneman
D Tyler Tucker

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Gage Goncalves
D Steven Santini
F Jesse Ylonen

Toronto Maple Leafs

G Matt Murray
D Marshall Rifai

Utah Hockey Club

G Matt Villalta

Vancouver Canucks

D Erik Brannstrom

Vegas Golden Knights

F Zach Aston-Reese
F Tanner Laczynski
F Jonas Rondbjerg

Washington Capitals

G Hunter Shepard

Winnipeg Jets

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Hurricanes Re-Sign Ryan Suzuki To Two-Way Deal

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The Hurricanes have re-signed center Ryan Suzuki to a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced Wednesday. He avoids restricted free agency and will make $775K in the NHL and $70K in the AHL next year with a $90K guarantee.

The younger brother of Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has been in the Canes organization since they drafted him 28th overall in 2019. He signed his entry-level deal that summer, spending one season in juniors before graduating to professional play in 2020-21.

Suzuki hasn’t put up the offensive numbers worthy of an NHL call-up, though, and he’s remained entirely in the minors throughout his pro career. Unlike some other Hurricanes prospects, his development wasn’t completely derailed by their lack of a full-time AHL affiliate this season. He remained semi-productive while on loan to the Blues’ affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, posting 14 goals and 30 points in 51 games. That nearly mirrored his stat line with AHL Chicago the year prior, which were all career-highs at the time.

At 23 years old, there’s still a little time for Suzuki to shift his development into high gear and earn a roster spot down the line, but it likely needs to happen this season. The lack of game-breaking offense suggests a top-six role in the NHL is out of the question, but he likely still has a ceiling as a center on a depth scoring line thanks to his historically above-average passing ability. He’s unlikely to challenge for a roster spot in Carolina next fall, even with a fair amount of roster turnover expected, but a midseason call-up is an achievable goal.

Suzuki was not eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, but he will be when his new deal expires next summer. He’s still four years away from being eligible for standard unrestricted free agency. However, if he’s played less than 80 NHL games by the 2026 offseason, he’ll be eligible for Group Six UFA status then.

Hurricanes Recall Ryan Suzuki

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The Hurricanes recalled center Ryan Suzuki from AHL Springfield on Friday, per a team release. He joins defenseman Ronan Seeley, who was recalled from the minors yesterday, as a player on Carolina’s expanded playoff roster without any NHL experience.

Suzuki, 22, managed to tread water in his development this season while other Hurricanes prospects struggled without a stable minor-league affiliate. Carolina loaned the 2019 first-round pick out to Springfield, the Blues’ top-level affiliate, for the entire season after they couldn’t reach a deal to extend their affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. He made a career-high 51 appearances, managing 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points with a -9 rating.

He hasn’t yet managed to be a true impact player at the minor-league level, though, and he’s still searching for his first regular-season NHL recall. The younger brother of Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was drafted as an expert playmaker out of the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts, and he made the jump to the pro ranks with AHL Chicago a year early when the OHL canceled the 2020-21 season entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s managed 39 goals, 47 assists and 86 points in 153 AHL games since turning pro.

They aren’t bad numbers, but they’re still disappointing for a first-round pick and not strong enough to force Carolina to disrupt one of the deepest offenses in the league. Since Carolina has options with more NHL experience (Max Comtois, Brendan Lemieux) and higher ceilings (Jackson Blake, Bradly Nadeau) ready to go if injuries strike, the chances of Suzuki making his NHL debut this postseason are slim to none.

The London, Ontario, native is in the final season of his entry-level contract. The Hurricanes owe him a $874,125 qualifying offer to retain his rights as a restricted free agent this summer. He’s not yet eligible for salary arbitration, although he would be in 2025 if he signed a one-year deal.

Carolina Hurricanes To Send Ryan Suzuki To AHL

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Going down with a shoulder injury shortly before the opening of the regular season, Ryan Suzuki had been on the Season-Opening Injured Reserve for the Carolina Hurricanes through the first month of the year. Now that he is healthy, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal reports Suzuki has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

Suzuki, who was a first-round selection of Carolina back in the 2019 NHL Draft, will be joining Dylan Coghlan and Jamieson Rees in Springfield as the only other members of the Hurricanes organization.

For a number of reasons, Suzuki has failed to move up the depth chart in Carolina, spending the last three seasons with the team’s former AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. In what was his most productive season last year, Suzuki would score 13 goals and 19 assists in 50 total games.

In Springfield, Suzuki will now find himself on a team competing in a hotly contested North Division in the AHL. However, Suzuki will be competing for minutes of his own, as the Thunderbirds have formed one of the AHL’s best top lines in the game through Adam Gaudette, Matthew Peca, and Nathan Walker.

Metropolitan Division Notes: Hischier, Gudbranson, Hurricanes

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New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted today that Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald doesn’t think that center Nico Hischier will be travelling with the team on their upcoming four-game road trip. Fitzgerald has reportedly talked with New Jersey’s medical staff and Hischier is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis. The ailment is being called an upper-body issue at this time and could it keep Hischier out of action for the next four games. That would mean that his earliest return date would be November 10th against the Washington Capitals.

The former first-overall pick is off to a slow start this season with just two goals in his first seven games after putting up 31 goals and 49 assists in 81 games last season. His lack of offense hasn’t hurt the Devils thus far as the team is off to a 5-2-1 start and currently sits third in the Metropolitan Division. If Hischier is sidelined for some time it is possible that former NHL regular Chris Tierney could fill in during his absence.

In other Metropolitan notes:

  • Columbus Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger tweeted today that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson has again missed practice. This is the second day in a row that the Ottawa, Ontario native did not skate after playing in Monday night’s game against the Dallas Stars. The 31-year-old was questionable for that game after taking a puck to the foot against the New York Islanders on Saturday night but did play in the 5-3 loss. Gudbranson has no points in nine games thus far this season but has averaged over three blocked shots a game.
  • Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted today that Vasily Ponomarev and Ryan Suzuki are both very close to returning to action and will likely be assigned to the AHL shortly after they do. Ponomarev suffered a knee injury in September and started the season on the injured reserve. Last season he played for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL posting 24 goals and 22 assists in 64 games. Suzuki on the other hand has been dealing with a shoulder injury that has kept him off the ice. He also spent last year with the Wolves in the AHL posting 13 goals and 19 assists in 50 games. Carolina doesn’t currently have an AHL affiliate now meaning that both players could find themselves on different teams once they are assigned to the AHL.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Kings, Carolina Injuries, Fabbri

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Team Canada’s U20 roster has announced that Alan Letang will serve as the team’s head coach, while Pete Anholt and Brent Seabrook will serve in management roles.

TSN’s Gord Miller quips that Letang has been a “gold medal magnet” in recent years, leading Canada to gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup this August and serving as an assistant coach for the championship-winning Canadians at the 2020 and 2023 World Junior Championship. Pete Anholt has served as the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ general manager since 2015. He also served as a head coach in the WHL for 15 seasons between 1989 and 2007.

This will be Brent Seabrook’s first involvement with the Canada U20 team since he played for them in 2004 and 2005, appearing at the World Junior Championship in both years. Since his NHL career ended in 2019-20, Seabrook has served as an assistant and development coach with the Vancouver Giants.

Other notes from around the league:

Hurricanes Assign Coghlan, Three Others To Minor Leagues

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The Carolina Hurricanes have made their final roster cuts, assigning seven players to various leagues or injury designation. Dylan Coghlan (Springfield), Caleb Jones (Colorado), and Pyotr Kochetkov (Syracuse) have been assigned to various teams in the AHL. Domenick Fensore has been sent to Norfolk of the ECHL. 2023 Draft prospect Felix Unger Sorum was sent back to Leksands in Sweden. And Vasily Ponomarev and Ryan Suzuki were assigned to the team’s injured non-roster list. The final Hurricanes lineup can be viewed here.

The process of assigning players to the minor leagues has been a tricky one for Carolina, who are without an AHL affiliate for the season after the Chicago Wolves opted to go independent. This has meant that every player Carolina wants to assign to the AHL must be loaned out, explaining why Coghlan, Jones, and Kochetkov were dispersed.

Unger Sorum was an exciting name to follow throughout Carolina’s training camp. The winger was just barely eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft, being born a day before the cutoff. That means that he only turned 18 on September 14th. And yet he was able to carve out a significant role for much of the team’s camp, even earning speculation over whether he was ready to join the NHL lineup. Instead, he becomes one of their final roster cuts and will rejoin Leksands in Sweden. Unger Sorum primarily played for Leksands’ U20 team last year, appearing in 42 games and recording 46 points. He also played in seven SHL games, although he didn’t manage to record any points. The 2023 second-round pick will be an exciting international name for Canes fans to follow throughout the 2022-23 campaign.

Hurricanes Recall Six Players

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With Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Chicago missing the playoffs, the Hurricanes have decided who will be part of their ‘Black Aces’ squad, announcing the recall of six players.  Coming up to the big club are forwards Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, Jamieson Rees, and Ryan Suzuki, defenseman Maxime Lajoie, and goaltender Zach Sawchenko.

Koivunen spent the bulk of this season with Karpat in Finland’s SM-liiga, picking up 28 points in 52 games before reporting to the Wolves last month.  The 19-year-old got into a dozen games at the AHL level, picking up a goal.  This is his first recall to the NHL.

Ponomarev played his first full campaign in North America this season and acquitted himself well, picking up a team-leading 24 goals along with 22 assists to put him second on the Wolves in scoring behind Malte Stromwall (who was not among the recalls).  The 21-year-old has also yet to play at the NHL level.

As for Rees, his third AHL campaign saw him put up more points than his first two combined, collecting 14 goals and 28 points in 65 games to put him fourth on the team in scoring.  The 22-year-old is in the second season of his entry-level deal and hasn’t yet suited up for the Hurricanes.

Suzuki was a first-round pick by Carolina back in 2018 (29th overall) but also hasn’t seen NHL action yet.  The 21-year-old did show some improvement this season with the Wolves, picking up 13 goals and 19 assists in 50 games, career-highs on all three fronts.

Lajoie, however, does have some NHL experience under his belt including three games with Carolina this season.  The 25-year-old has suited in 70 career contests at the top level, the bulk of which came back in 2018-19 with Ottawa.  Lajoie led all Wolves blueliners in points this season with 11 goals and 34 assists in 63 games.

Sawchenko played in seven games with San Jose last season but didn’t see any NHL time with the Hurricanes this season.  The 25-year-old signed with Carolina as a free agent last summer and led all Chicago netminders with 41 appearances this season where he posted a 3.10 GAA with a SV% of .895.

Barring multiple injuries, it’s unlikely that any of these players will get into a game during Carolina’s playoff run but they will get a chance to continue skating and working with team coaches in case they need to be pressed into action.

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