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Wild Re-Sign Kurtis Gabriel

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The Minnesota Wild have reportedly come to terms on a new deal with gritty forward Kurtis Gabriel. While the team has yet to make the contract official, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie believes that the ink has dried on a one-year, two-way contract worth $715K at the NHL level for the restricted free agent. With several frequent fourth liners in 2016-17 now gone – Tyler Graovac (traded to Washington), Erik Haula (selected by Vegas), Jordan Schroeder (traded to Columbus), Ryan White (will not be re-signed) – Gabriel will be given every chance to earn a regular spot in the lineup next season.

A 2013 third-round pick, Gabriel has not been able to come close to the offense he showed with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in his three years of pro experience. Gabriel has just one point in 16 NHL games over two seasons and 40 points in 190 career AHL games. The value that Gabriel does bring to the table is his toughness and two-way ability. Gabriel averaged two hits per game in his brief NHL stints in 2016-17 and racked up more than two penalty minutes per game. That was in just about 5 minutes of ice time per game too. At 6’4″, 211-lbs., the big winger is a force to reckon and, given the proper amount of ice time, could be one of the most ferocious checkers in the NHL. He also wins battles along the boards and is an above-average shot blocker. Increasing his offensive output or at least working on a horrendous possession game would help Gabriel’s chances of sticking with the Wild next season, but fourth-line opportunity and physical domination often go hand-in-hand regardless.

Gabriel is locked up for next year, but the off-season is far from over for GM Chuck Fletcher and the Minnesota front office. They still have major restricted free agents to sign in Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, and Marcus Foligno, as well as competition for Gabriel on the checking line in Zack Mitchell, not to mention an ongoing search for a reliable back-up goalie behind Devan Dubnyk. It’s nice to have one box checked off, but the Wild brass have their work cut out for them this summer.

Capitals Acquire Tyler Graovac From Wild

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The Washington Capitals announced the acquisition of center Tyler Graovac from the Wild.  In exchange, Minnesota acquires Washington’s fifth round pick in 2018.

The 24 year old played in 52 games with the Wild last season, scoring seven goals and added two assists while averaging 9:50 of ice time per game.  He fared better offensively with Iowa at the AHL level, collecting 10 goals and five assists in 26 games.  The 191st overall pick in 2011 cleared waivers earlier in the season so the team is doing well to get an asset, albeit a late pick, for someone they could have lost for free just a few months ago.

From Washington’s perspective, this deal is primarily due to expansion.  His acquisition provides them with a second signed forward to expose to meet the 40/70 requirement (Graovac hasn’t played in 70 career NHL games but the 52 this season qualify him).  Graovac has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $625K, $25K below the league minimum for next season.  Assuming he’s not selected by the Golden Knights, he’ll push for a spot at the end of the roster in training camp.

Snapshots: Graovac, Sproul, Stuart

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The Minnesota Wild have sent Tyler Graovac back down the minors after playing the last three games with the club. After Jason Pominville was a healthy scratch last night against the Winnipeg Jets— a game which the Wild lost 5-4—he will likely figure back into the lineup tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks. Graovac has now played 52 games for the Wild this season, contributing nine points while skating just under ten minutes a game. The 23-year old will return to the Iowa Wild where he has ten points in twelve games, and wait for his next chance.

For Pominville, last night’s scratching was the first such occasion of his Minnesota career and came after being held scoreless in six of his last seven games. The winger had contracted the mumps disease last month and missed some time, and wasn’t very effective upon his return. In 67 games this season he does have 41 points, which is actually an improvement over his career-low (in a full season) of 36 last year. With a long playoff run upcoming, and two years left on his current contract, the Wild need the 34-year old to continue producing down the stretch.

  • Ryan Sproul still hasn’t decided whether his ACL injury will need surgery, as the Detroit Red Wings defender explained today. He will continue to rehab the knee for the next two weeks and have another examination before deciding whether he needs to go under the knife. Clearly frustrated, he spoke to reporters today about how this season has slipped away from him without accomplishing the one goal he had: prove he was ready for an NHL role. With only 28 games under his belt in his NHL career, he’ll try again next fall to become the solid defenseman the Red Wings were hoping for when they selected him 55th overall in 2011.
  • Though it seemed like Ben Chiarot could be the reason for the Winnipeg Jets recalling Nelson Nogier this morning, the defenseman took part in practice today and looks to be fine. Chiarot didn’t play in the last ten minutes of last night’s game, but it was Mark Stuart who was absent this morning. Head coach Paul Maurice told Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun that there are a “few moving parts” on defense for the Jets’ upcoming game against the Philadelphia Flyers. If Nogier does get into the lineup, it would be his NHL debut.

Snapshots: Doan, Graovac, Hellberg

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Shane Doan will be on all the blooper reels for the next while. The Arizona Coyotes captain is fine after colliding hard with Jakob Chychrun in warm up last night, and missing most of the first period. According to Dave Vest of NHL.com, he team had checked him for a concussion, but ruled that he had just had the wind knocked out of him.

I didn’t know it was him that hit me. I was looking back at [Oliver Ekman-Larsson] and got hit. I had no idea who it was that hit me … I haven’t been hit that hard in a long, long time.

The Coyotes ended up winning a 1-0 game over the Colorado Avalanche in a battle between the worst teams in the NHL. It couldn’t have started in a way more fitting to what was to come, with the next wave of the Coyotes literally checking the old guard out of the way.

  • As expected, the Minnesota Wild have officially recalled Tyler Graovac from Iowa of the AHL. After Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reported yesterday that Martin Hanzal was sick with the flu and wouldn’t be with the team for the next two games, Graovac was the easy call up. As Russo points out, it will be interesting to see if Graovac figures into the lineup immediately for one of Jordan Schroeder or Ryan White or if he’s just there for insurance.
  • The New York Rangers have sent Magnus Hellberg back to the AHL despite not having two healthy goaltenders at the NHL level. With Henrik Lundqvist out two to three weeks, Hellberg is expected to be the backup behind Antti Raanta for the next little while. The Rangers are off until Friday, but so are the Hartford Wolfpack which makes this move very interesting. It may be just a paper transaction to save Hellberg’s NHL salary for a few days, but either way it will be answered later this week when they make a move to bring someone up.

Minor Moves: Varone, Graovac, Shore

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The Ottawa Senators have decided they no longer have a use for Phil Varone, after the news that Kyle Turris should return to the lineup. Monday afternoon they announced that Varone has been re-assigned to the AHL. The 26-year old Varone only received just five minutes of ice time in Saturday’s win over the Colorado Avalanche, and is more useful in the AHL where he currently leads the baby-Sens in points. With 42 points in 51, Varone has continued his minor-league dominance this season, part of a longer trend. In his six seasons of professional hockey, he has scored at least 35 points in each of them with a career high of 61 in 2013-14.

Obviously Varone isn’t in the Senators’ current NHL plans, but perhaps he’ll get a chance somewhere else next season. The former fifth-round pick is an unrestricted agent this summer, and will likely be looking for an opportunity at the highest level.

  • According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the Minnesota Wild are set to recall Tyler Graovac from Iowa. The 23-year old forward was waived a month ago but has spent most of the season in the NHL, playing in 49 games for the Wild. The massive Graovac is an effective bottom-six player who can play center or wing when needed. With Martin Hanzal out with the flu, Graovac is likely just up as insurance for the rest of the road trip. If the team wants a shake up, they could insert him into the fourth-line center spot, currently occupied by Jordan Schroeder.
  • After signing this weekend and clearing waivers today, Drew Shore will indeed make his debut for the Vancouver Canucks tonight against the Boston Bruins. The former second-round pick will compete to prove that he deserves another look in the NHL next season. “I want to show the Canucks I can be part of their future,” Shore said today to the media. The Canucks will also get Mikael Grandlund back into the lineup, skating alongside the Sedins.

Ryan Carter Signs PTO With AHL’s Iowa Wild

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Ryan Carter’s comeback continues. After the report last week that Carter had begun practicing with the Minnesota Wild in an attempt to return to the NHL, he has taken another step toward that goal today by inking a professional tryout agreement with the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa. The Iowa Wild announced the deal today, and Carter is expected to see his first ice time of the 2016-17 season in their next two games.

It’s been a long, strange road for Carter to get back to the NHL, and it’s not over yet. The Minnesota native played for the Wild for the past two years, recording 25 points in 113 games in a bottom-six role. However, when his contract expired at the end of last season and he hit free agency this summer, he made the executive decision that he would either sign with his hometown team or hang up his skates for good. The Wild were unable to commit to a contract for the 33-year-old, but didn’t want to rule out a return for the hard-working forward who grew up in White Bear Lake and played college hockey for Minnesota State – Mankato. They decided to invite Carter to camp this fall, giving him a chance to earn a contract instead. However, he was released not long after the action began due to issues with a lingering shoulder injury. Carter underwent a procedure on a torn labrum in his right shoulder four months ago, and many expected that to be the end of his career. Carter was not ready to call it quits just yet though, and rehabbed and work his way back into game shape, before going to the Wild brass with hopes of rejoining the team.

He’s well on his way, now. After more than a week of practicing with the NHL Wild, this PTO gives Carter the chance to finally see some game action with the AHL Wild. If the coaches and executives like what they see, expect Carter’s hard work to pay off in a contract by the end of the month. As long as he is signed by March 1st, the NHL Trade Deadline, Carter will be eligible to play in the postseason for the West-leading Wild. With Tyler Graovac recently clearing waivers and being demoted to the AHL and the utter lack of production from Kurtis Gabriel and Zack Mitchell, the need for another reliable player on Minnesota’s fourth line is more apparent now than ever. Carter gives them an option that costs nothing in trade capital, is familiar with the team, and can be counted on for hard work and dedicated play.

Wild Recall Alex Tuch, Waive Tyler Graovac

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Despite having the most points in their conference, the Wild have decided to shake up their roster. The team has announced that they’ve recalled top prospect Alex Tuch and winger Zack Mitchell from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. To make room on the roster, the team has placed forward Tyler Graovac on waivers and placed defenseman Jonas Brodin on the injured reserve (retroactive to January 18th).

Alex TuchTuch, who was selected 18th overall in the 2014 draft, will be receiving his second career cup of coffee. The 20-year-old appeared in three games for the Wild earlier this season, averaging a bit under 12 minutes per game. The talented offensive weapon failed to record a goal or assist during his brief cameo, but he has compiled 12 goals and 13 assists in 36 games for Iowa this season. Dane Mizutani of TwinCities.com notes that Tuch was practicing alongside first-liners Eric Staal and Nino Niederreiter during Monday’s practice.

Mitchell, 24, made his NHL debut earlier this season with the Wild, compiling zero points in 10 games. The former undrafted player has spent the past two-plus seasons with Iowa, and he’s compiled eight goals and six assists so far this season.

The team may have placed Graovac on waivers, but Mizutani notes that the squad is assuming that he’ll go unclaimed and ultimately land with Iowa. On the flip side, Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk writes that Graovac’s affordable contract (including a $625K cap hit for next season) could be enticing to some teams. The transaction is also an indication that the organization would like Charlie Coyle to get more reps at center.

The 23-year-old has spent much of the season on the Wild’s fourth-line, collecting three goals and one assist in only six games. Prior to this season, the 2011 draft pick has played in five games for the Wild between two seasons.

Brodin has missed the past 12 games as he’s recovered from a fractured finger. The former first-rounder was logging a career-low 19:47 minutes per game, but his offensive production was approaching career-highs. After having never finished with more than 19 points in his previous four seasons, Brodin had already scored three goals and provided 13 assists in 43 games this season.

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