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Tristan Jarry

Snapshots: Calgary, Mironov, Murray

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The Calgary Flames were involved in a battle for funding for a new arena for quite some time, until the talks were abruptly halted in September. After Mayor Naheed Nenshi was re-elected in October, there hasn’t been any progress or even discussion on how to fix the deteriorating financial situation the Flames find themselves in.

Today according to the Canadian Press, as part of his tour through Western Canada, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke about how the Flames are now relying on the league’s revenue sharing program instead of contributing to it as they had in the past. The Flames have indicated their dedication to the community in the past, but hinted that could change if it becomes impossible to operate a financially sound organization. While much of the back and forth in this story has been public posturing, Calgary’s hockey team remains without a long-term fix to their arena situation.

  • Andrei Mironov will indeed head back to Russia after terminating his contract, and as agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey explains on Twitter, he’d like to thank everyone in the Colorado Avalanche organization. It doesn’t seem like there is any bad blood between the two sides, but there just wasn’t a fit for Mironov after signing his entry-level contract last May. The 23-year old defenseman played just 10 games in the NHL, and will likely return to the KHL.
  • Matt Murray was back on the ice doing drills today, though didn’t take any live shots from teammates. That’s huge news for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who despite having faith in Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, obviously would rather have their two-time Stanley Cup winner in net for the playoffs. We saw first hand last night the struggles that the rookie tandem could have, as the Boston Bruins chased DeSmith from the net in the first period and ended up with eight goals. There is still no timeline for Murray’s return from a concussion, but seeing him on the ice is a good first step.

Matt Murray Diagnosed With Concussion

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After taking a puck to the head in practice yesterday, Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion. The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to go with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith for the time being, starting tonight when they welcome the New Jersey Devils to town.

This is terrible timing for the Penguins as they fight to stay in the top three spots in the Metropolitan Division. The Philadelphia Flyers, on another one of their extended winning streaks, have claimed the very top spot ahead of the Washington Capitals while the Devils are nipping at the Penguins’ heels. With just 19 games left, the idea of having Murray sit out for any length of time could be devastating to their playoff seeding.

In the meantime, Jarry will likely be asked to carry much of the load as he did earlier in the year when Murray was injured. The 22-year old rookie has a .916 save percentage on the season through 20 appearances, and could even be asked to step into a playoff start should Murray’s injury history flare up again in the postseason. While the Penguins feel confident in his and DeSmith’s play, it’s tough to rely solely on rookie goaltenders at this late stage of the season.

Murray has not had a season to remember in his first chance as the unquestioned starter. After Marc-Andre Fleury departed to Vegas in the offseason, Murray has only been able to start 37 games and is carrying easily the worst save percentage of his career at .909. There’s no telling how a concussion will affect him down the stretch, but the Penguins will hope he can get back for the playoffs where he has a .928 save percentage—and two Stanley Cups—through his first two seasons in the league.

Minor Transactions: 2/4/18

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After a full slate of games Saturday, the NHL only has a three-game schedule on Super Bowl Sunday, the most interesting of which is the early game which matches up the Vegas Golden Knights with the Washington Capitals. With most teams having played last night, there may be quite a few roster moves made today to get ready for the new week.

  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned goaltender goaltender Ken Appleby to the Binghamton Devils and recalled goaltender Eddie Lack. Appleby was recalled back on Jan. 20 on emergency loan after backup goalie Keith Kinkaid went on injured reserve and starter Cory Schneider went down with a groin injury. Appleby played well in his three appearances as he had a 1.45 GAA and a .945 save percentage in that time. While Kinkaid has been activated, Schneider is still not skating yet. Lack, who has been injured recently, finally returned to Binghamton’s lineup and stopped 28 of 30 shots, and might be the preferred backup until Schneider returns to the team.
  • NHL.com’s Brian Hedger writes that the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned defenseman Cameron Gaunce to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL after having been recalled Saturday. He did not play in last night’s game and still hasn’t made his NHL debut this season. The 27-year-old blueliner has two goals and 10 assists in 36 games for Cleveland. The assignment suggests that defenseman Ryan Murray might be ready to return for Columbus.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins swapped goaltenders today as the team has recalled Tristan Jarry from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette’s Jason Mackey. The team also assigned Casey DeSmith to their AHL team. Jarry has played 18 games for Pittsburgh this year, backing up Matt Murray. The 22-year-old has a 2.44 GAA and a .919 save percentage. DeSmith has also fared well in just seven appearances for the NHL club. He owns a 2.24 GAA and a .926 save percentage.
  • The New York Rangers announced that they have recalled forward Vinni Lettieri from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Lettieri was assigned to Hartford on Jan. 26. In 10 games for the Rangers, he has one goal and three assists. He has fared well in Hartford as he has 14 goals and 23 points in 35 AHL games. Lettieri should fill the roster spot for forward Jimmy Vesey, who isn’t expected to play Monday after taking a hit from Nashville’s Filip Forsberg.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have assigned forward Austin Czarnik to the Providence Bruins Sunday. The 25-year-old forward was recalled on emergency loan Saturday. The diminutive forward did play in last night’s game, picking up an assist in 9:07 of playing time in the Bruins 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned goaltender Adin Hill to the Tucson Roadrunners Sunday. He was recalled as an emergency replacement on Friday after starter Antti Raanta was in a car accident. Raanta wasn’t hurt, but was held out for precautionary reasons. Hill didn’t see any time. He has played in three games for Arizona, but has struggled with a 3.76 GAA. The 21-year-old has fared better with Tucson as he has 2.59 in 20 appearances.
  • NHL.com’s Alex Stepneski tweets the Dallas Stars have assigned goaltender Landon Bow to the Texas Stars of the AHL. Bow was recalled Saturday after starter Ben Bishop took a puck to the head. A concussion had been ruled out, but the team removed him for precautionary reasons. Bow’s assignment suggests Bishop will be ready for their next game.

Minor Transactions: 01/24/18

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We’ve already seen a signing today that brought Nathan Gerbe back into the North American fold, but there will be several other minor moves around the league. Right here is where we’ll keep track of all of them.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman from the minor leagues, placing Shawn Matthias on injured reserve. The move could be due to Dmitry Kulikov’s injury, suffered after being hit by Tomas Hertl last night. Poolman has played 13 games this season for the Jets, recording a single point but showing that he could potentially be an answer on defense in the coming years. The 24-year old turned pro out of the University of North Dakota last March, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
  • Oscar Dansk has been loaned back to the Chicago Wolves, now that he is healthy enough to return to action. Dansk was moved off injured reserve this week and will continue his development in the AHL. The 23-year old played in four games with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, allowing just five goals and recording a .946 save percentage.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have indeed sent David Booth to the minor leagues now that he’s cleared waivers for the third time. The team recalled Dominic Turgeon, who had only just been sent down this week, to take his place.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Tyler Motte back to the minor leagues, another good sign for Cam Atkinson who is close to returning. Atkinson had his foot broken by a Seth Jones shot just a month ago, but has been skating with the team recently.
  • With James Reimer dealing with a lower-body injury, the Florida Panthers have recalled goaltender Samuel Montembeault from the AHL. That puts the Panthers with a duo of Montembeault and Harri Sateri, who have a combined three NHL appearances (all Sateri). It’s not clear how serious Reimer’s injury is, but we’ll surely find out soon.
  • According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the San Jose Sharks have brought Marcus Sorensen back up from the minor leagues after getting the news that Joe Thornton would be out at least a couple of weeks. Sorensen has played 15 games for the Sharks this season, scoring three goals.
  • The Penguins Penguins have sent goaltender Tristan Jarry to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  This will allow him to play in up to two games in the minors during the NHL All-Star break.  Jarry has lost playing time to Casey DeSmith in recent games so this will serve as an opportunity to keep him in playing shape before deciding whether or not to bring him back afterwards.

Penguins Not Looking To Trade Young Goalies

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The Penguins may be seeking a third-line center, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to give up one of their young goalies. General manager Jim Rutherford told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he isn’t listening to offers for youngsters Tristan Jarry or Casey DeSmith.

“I don’t have any interest in moving any of those guys,” Rutherford said. “We’ve gone through a transition period here where the No. 1 goalie for years – and one of the franchise’s most beloved players – has moved on.

“We’ve transitioned into a team that probably has the best group of young goalies in the league. I don’t have any interest in talking [to other teams] about these three guys.”

Matthew Murray will continue being the team’s top goalie, but both Jarry and DeSmith provide the organization with plenty of insurance. Mackey notes that Jarry would net a much stronger package than DeSmith, although the 22-year-old is higher on the depth chart. Jarry is 9-4-2 this season with a 2.44 GAA and .919 save percentage. The 26-year-old DeSmith is 1-2 with a 2.12 GAA and .921 save percentage.

Rutherford did sound like he’s still pursuing that offensive reinforcement, but he noted that the current trade market is a bit different than previous seasons.

“It’s a little tighter at this point than other seasons, but there are still players out there that are available,” Rutherford said. “Are they the right fit? Does that improve our team? Those things all get factored in.

“At this point in time, there’s not somebody out there that can improve our team.”

Snapshots: Team USA, Fines, Murray

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With rosters for the upcoming World Junior tournament released in the next few weeks, Bob McKenzie of TSN took a look at the potential names for Team USA. The club is expected to be one of the favorites after taking home the gold medal last season at both the U20 and U18 events. McKenzie figures the top line to be a trio of Casey Mittelstadt–Logan Brown–Kailer Yamamoto, a group that would likely hold their own in the NHL let alone a junior tournament. Brown and Yamamoto both played in the NHL this season, while Mittelstadt is starring at the University of Minnesota.

One player McKenzie doesn’t mention is Sean Dhooghe, the 5’2″ forward that earned the respect of his teammates at San Jose prospect camp this summer. Dhooghe isn’t one to overlook because of his size though, as he has eight points in 17 games as an undrafted freshman for the University of Wisconsin, and led the U18 team in scoring at last year’s tournament. Dhooghe, 18, could also attend next year if he’s not selected this time around, as there is plenty of talent to choose from for this year’s tournament. It will be held in Buffalo starting December 26th.

Minor Transactions: 11/28/17

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Like always, we’ll keep an eye on all the minor transactions around the league right here. Make sure to bookmark or refresh throughout the day to keep up with all the movement.

East Notes: Jarry, Rodrigues, Matthews, Milano

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The Penguins currently find themselves in a situation where top prospect Tristan Jarry is backing up in the NHL instead of playing a starting role in the minors.  Generally, teams would rather see a young and waiver-exempt netminder play as many games as possible in the AHL over making 15-20 appearances in the NHL.  Accordingly, it has been expected that GM Jim Rutherford would be on the lookout for more of a veteran backup that could push Jarry back to the minors.

However, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that while Rutherford is keeping tabs on what’s out there, he’s not actively pursuing another goalie at the moment.  Jarry is off to a decent start with the Penguins this season so it’s not as if his performance is dictating that they need to make a move just yet.  As the weeks progress though, that could change if he’s only starting once every four or five games.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Sabres have assigned center Evan Rodrigues to Rochester of the AHL, per the AHL’s Transactions page. This means that he has been activated off season-opening injury reserve.  He suffered a hand injury early in the preseason against Toronto.  Although he has been sent down, there’s a decent change Rodrigues will factor into Buffalo’s plans before too long as he played in 30 games with them last season, averaging just shy of 13 minutes per game.
  • Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game in Montreal, notes Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star. Matthews has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury although he did participate in his second practice of the week earlier today.  Even if he is cleared to return, the 20-year-old acknowledged that his conditioning may not be back where it was right away before he suffered the injury.
  • Although the Blue Jackets are struggling offensively at the moment, it doesn’t appear like winger Sonny Milano is in line for more playing time just yet. Head coach John Tortorella told Steve Gorten of the Columbus Dispatch that Milano needs to play better in his own end before he can be trusted with more playing time even though he sits tied for second on the team in goals with five.

Pittsburgh Penguins Swap Casey DeSmith, Tristan Jarry

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The Casey DeSmith experiment didn’t last long. After giving up three goals on 15 shots in relief of Matt Murray last night as his NHL debut, DeSmith will head back to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in exchange for Tristan Jarry. DeSmith also took a delay of game penalty when he shot the puck over the glass early in the second period, a rough start to his NHL career.

Jarry, 22, is the better prospect of the two goaltenders and had previously made his NHL debut last season. While the Penguins seemed to want him to start and develop in the minor leagues the need for goaltending help is apparently too great. Pittsburgh already jettisoned Antti Niemi after he failed to show NHL-caliber goaltender, and with Matt Murray struggling to find his Stanley Cup form, the team needs someone reliable to turn to. Murray has just a .903 save percentage so far this season.

The Penguins are now 7-5-1 on the season, but carry the third worst team save percentage in the entire league and have given up the most goals against (though, their 13 games played leads the league as well). If Jarry can provide some stability behind Murray, the team obviously has the talent to be Stanley Cup contenders. They also obviously know the value of a good backup, after holding onto Marc-Andre Fleury last season only to need him in the playoffs once again.

East Notes: Athanasiou, Kinkaid, Jarry

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Although the cap situation for the Red Wings is far from ideal as they currently project to be over the cap heading into the season, that doesn’t appear to be a big factor in the lack of progress being made in talks with winger Andreas Athanasiou, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan.  Instead, the scribe suggests that it’s their salary structure that may be playing a big role.

While the 23-year-old is coming off of an 18 goal season, this was his only full NHL campaign.  Accordingly, while Athanasiou is looking to be paid based off of that type of production, Detroit GM Ken Holland may be hesitant to give the type of money he’s looking for with as small of a track record as he has.  There’s no word as to what offers are on the table but Khan speculates that a two-year bridge deal worth around $1.5MM per year may be close to what the Red Wings have put forth.

Yesterday, it was reported that Athanasiou is considering a one-year offer in the KHL.  His agent, Darren Ferris, classified the offer as “significant”.  Between that and the potential to play in the Olympics, it certainly stands to reason that this could be a bit more than just an attempt at getting some leverage in talks with the Red Wings.  If he were to go overseas, Detroit would retain his rights.

More from the East:

  • Although he ultimately re-signed with New Jersey, goalie Keith Kinkaid acknowledged to Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media that he did speak to a few other teams during the interview period leading up to July 1st. Instead of going elsewhere though, he opted to sign a two-year, $2.5MM deal to remain with the Devils.  He’ll serve as Cory Schneider’s backup once again this coming season.
  • Although Pittsburgh’s addition of netminder Antti Niemi pushes prospect Tristan Jarry back to the number three role, GM Jim Rutherford suggested to NHL.com’s Wes Crosby that Jarry may still get into some NHL action with the Penguins this season. Niemi inked a one-year, $700K deal to replace Marc-Andre Fleury and serve as Matt Murray’s backup but the move also allows the 22-year-old to get another full season of AHL action under his belt before making another push for the number two spot in 2018-19.

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