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Victor Rask

Carolina Hurricanes Activate Victor Rask

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It’s been more than two months since Victor Rask was forced to get surgery on his hand after an incident suffered while slicing food in his kitchen, but the Carolina Hurricanes are finally going to get him back. After welcoming him back to practice recently, the team has activated Rask off of season-opening injured reserve making him eligible to play tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs if possible. Clark Bishop has been sent back to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers to make room on the roster.

Rask, 25, is an important piece for the Hurricanes even if he hasn’t turned into the offensive powerhouse that some believed he could be after his first few seasons. Selected 42nd overall in 2011, Rask came out flying as a rookie in 2014-15 and recorded his first 20-goal season in 2015-16. Unfortunately that was also his only 20-goal season so far, as his point totals have dipped the last two years and are in danger of doing so for a third given the quarter of season he’s already missed.

Still, with Elias Lindholm gone to Calgary the Hurricanes will welcome back Rask with open arms to give them some more depth up front. A natural center, he should be able to help a group that hasn’t been able to find much consistency in the middle. Sebastian Aho has moved back to the position with great success this season after playing wing his first two years in the NHL, but Jordan Staal and Lucas Wallmark, the other two most common options in the middle, have both struggled offensively. Rask’s two-way ability should allow Carolina to do some different things with their forward group, and give them a much more balanced attack.

Metropolitan Notes: Dal Colle, Brassard, Hischier, Rask, Murphy

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When the New York Islanders recalled 2014 fifth-overall pick Michael Dal Colle from Bridgeport, many felt the team was just rewarding him for improved recent play with the AHL squad, but the recall would likely result in a few trips to the press box and an eventual return to the Sound Tigers.

However, Andrew Gross of Newsday writes that head coach Barry Trotz made this opportunity sound different as he hinted that Dal Colle may get an opportunity to see some game action on Sunday.

“Good chance,” Trotz said when asked whether Dal Colle would be in Sunday’s lineup. “I’m going to let him play a little bit and try to find his game. Maybe he has his game and he’s great tomorrow and I don’t have to tell him anything other than, ‘Just keep going, kid.’ I want to see how he plays.”

Dal Colle has been much more impressive this year after tallying just seven goals in 60 games with Bridgeport last season. He’s equalled those goal totals already with seven goals and 14 points in 14 games. Of course, Dal Colle’s opportunities may not last long as Gross reports that Matt Martin is close to being activated off the injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins will get back a big name and just in time as the struggling Penguins will get Derick Brassard back from a lower-body injury after missing the past nine games, according to TribLive’s Jonathan Bombulie. Pittsburgh has won just two games in that span. The 31-year-old had a goal and five points in eight games before the injury. The center will be immediately placed on the team’s second line in between Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel. “I’m just going to try to skate and keep everything simple and give the puck to Phil as much as I can,” Brassard said after morning skate.
  • The New Jersey Devils have high hopes that they may get back their top center Nico Hischier from injury after he has sat out for three straight games with an undisclosed injury. NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that Hischier intends to travel with the team on their one-game road trip to Carolina, suggesting he could be ready to play for that game. The team misses his offense after posting three goals and 12 points in 15 games.
  • Chip Alexander of the News & Observer writes that Carolina Hurricanes winger Victor Rask, who underwent surgery on Sept. 13 after slicing his hand while cutting up sweet potatoes in his kitchen, practiced with the team on Friday, but has not been cleared for contact yet. Regardless, that’s good news for a struggling Hurricanes’ team that could use some offensive help. Rask scored 14 goals last season.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers writes that the Chicago Blackhawks will continue to be without defenseman Connor Murphy for quite some time as head coach Jeremy Colliton said the 25-year-old is still “weeks” away. The team could use every advantage it has if it wants to break out of its struggles this season.

Victor Rask Out Indefinitely After Hand Surgery

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If the Carolina Hurricanes plan on contending in the Metropolitan Division this season, they aren’t off to a very good start. The team announced today that Victor Rask is out indefinitely following surgery on his right hand. The injury was sustained “while slicing food in his kitchen.”

Rask, 25, is a very important player for the Hurricanes this season after they traded away Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner while failing to bring in any additional center help. Selected in the second round seven years ago, Rask reached a career high in 2015-16 with 21 goals and 48 points but has taken steps backwards ever since. While the Hurricanes have other young players like Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas ready to make an impact up front, this is already a big hit to their offensive group.

There’s no clear timetable for Rask, but with camp starting and the regular season just a few weeks away there is cause for concern in Carolina. The new coaching and management group will have more than just this injury to deal with this season, but it’s an unfortunate way to start things off. The team has struggled to compete for the playoffs for several years, and with an unproven tandem in net and now more uncertainty up front we’ll have to wait and see just what head coach Rod Brind’Amour can pull off early in the year.

Metropolitan Notes: Tavares, Hamilton, Rask, Rangers

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In a follow-up story about New York Islanders and John Tavares upcoming free agency, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes that the Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello left the draft to fly to Los Angeles to be nearby while Tavares meets with the teams that he and his representatives have invited to speak with him. Lamoriello will meet with Tavares last in hopes of keeping the superstar in the fold.

As reported earlier, it is believed that he will meet with the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars and possibly the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens, although that isn’t too clear so far. However, Staples writes that an earlier rumor today that the Islanders made an eight-year, $88MM deal may not be accurate. He believes in the end, whether offered by the Islanders or another team, that Tavares will be making $12MM per year, which Lamoriello has said that ownership has said that money is no object.

  • Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported that the Carolina Hurricanes intend to keep defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who the team acquired in the five-player trade earlier today. The scribe said the team had no intention of flipping the blueliner for more assets. Hamilton should provide the team with a No. 1 defenseman to go with their core of young blueliners. The six-year veteran is only just 25 years old and put up 17 goals and 44 points last season.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Carolina Hurricanes were supposedly close on sending winger Victor Rask to the Montreal Canadiens, but the asking price of two second-round picks in this draft (including the No. 35 pick) was too much for the Canadiens. The 25-year-old winger still has four years at $4MM AAV and seems to have regressed somewhat since a 21 goal season back in 2015-16.
  • The New York Rangers had three first-round picks in this latest draft with much speculation wondering if general manager Jeff Gorton would use those picks as assets to either acquire a pro-ready player or even to move up in the draft. Instead, the Rangers used all three picks (albeit, they traded up late in the first-round). NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports that Gorton said he was never close to making a deal this weekend. Gorton said he was ready to change his draft strategy if he got a trade offer he liked, but never got one. “I would say there was probably less conversations than I anticipated,” Gorton said.

Snapshots: Kane, Martin, Rasmussen, Rask, Hart

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While it’s not a big surprise, the play of San Jose rental Evander Kane has opened some eyes in the NHL. In 15 games with the Sharks, the 26-year-old has put up nine goals and five assists, showing he has the skills to be the star winger that many teams thought he could be despite some mid-season struggles with the Buffalo Sabres.

Despite getting Kane for a reduced price because of the lack of interested teams, don’t expect that to be the case this offseason. While it is believed that the San Jose Sharks will try to re-sign him this summer, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes in a mailbag column that no extension talks have begun and the price should be quite high as many more teams are likely to be in on Kane. In fact, Kurz writes the forward will be looking for both term and salary in this deal and could cost the Sharks as much as seven years at $7MM per season, which he believes will likely happen

  • Kurz also mentions in his mailbag feature that it is extremely likely the team will buyout defenseman Paul Martin, who has one more year next season at $4.85MM. The 37-year-old blueliner has slowed down and has only managed to appear in 10 games for the Sharks this year and spent 18 games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, the first time he’s ever played in the AHL. A buyout would save the Sharks $2.83MM in cap space for next season, which they might want if they intend to sign a big-named free agent.
  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that 2017 first-round pick Michael Rasmussen has been playing some of the best hockey of his career in the WHL playoffs. One big difference is that the center has occasionally moved to the wing during recent games due to his excellent chemistry with Carolina Hurricane’s prospect Morgan Geekie. His success at the wing could be a good sign if the 19-year-old prospect hopes to make the Red Wings squad out of training camp. Rasmussen, who has had 31 goals and 59 points (along with five goals and 12 points in four playoff games) for the Tri-City Americans, could be a key rebuilding chip for a struggling Detroit squad.
  • Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News-Observer tweets that Carolina Hurricanes forward Victor Rask, who was declared out for the season almost two weeks ago, had successful surgery on his shoulder and is expected to be ready for training camp next season assuming his rehab goes well. The 25-year-old had 14 goals and 31 points this season.
  • The Athletic’s Alexander Appleyard (subscription required) breaks down the amazing success that Philadelphia Flyers prospect goaltender Carter Hart has had this year. Besides the amazing, eye-popping numbers of a 1.60 GAA and a .947 save percentage with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, the 19-year-old has had a such a dominating season that no other goalie’s numbers are even close to Hart. Appleyard continues to break down 106 seasons between the WHL, OHL and the QMJHL combined and can’t find a year in which a prospect had this great of a season in comparison to his peers. Hart is expected to get more seasoning next year in the AHL before he takes over in Philadelphia.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers Goaltending, Gordon, Rask, Kreider, Murray

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While the Flyers were hoping that goaltending would be a strength for them this season, the exact opposite has been the case so far, notes Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post.  Through ten games, Philadelphia has a team save percentage of .866, the second lowest in the NHL (Carolina is last at .864).  Not surprisingly, head coach Dave Hakstol has changed goalies in-game three times already.

Both Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth are set to be unrestricted free agents following the season and so far, they aren’t performing well in their contract years.  Before the season started, GM Ron Hextall said that he didn’t anticipate signing either to an extension and right now that’s looking like a shrewd move.

For the time being at least, it’s likely that Hakstol will continue to platoon the two in the hopes that one will get on a roll.  If neither get going though, they could be a team who looks outside the organization for goaltending help before too long.

More notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Still with the Flyers, the team announced that center Boyd Gordon will be out for at least a week with an upper body injury. While the release doesn’t specifically note it, Gordon will be placed on injured reserve.  He has played in eight games so far this season, picking up a goal while averaging 8:30 per game on the fourth line.
  • While Carolina’s decision to sign center Victor Rask to a six year, $24MM extension in the offseason raised more than a few eyebrows, the early returns on the new contract have been quite promising, writes Luke DeCock of the News and Observer. Not only does he lead the team in scoring with ten points (4-6-10) in eight games, he has recorded a point in every game so far.  Coincidentally, the only other player in franchise history to pick up at least a point in each of the first eight games of the season is the person who signed Rask to that contract, GM Ron Francis.
  • The New York Rangers will welcome back left winger Chris Kreider to the lineup tonight, reports Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News. He has missed the last four games due to neck spasms.  Prior to the injury, he was off to a strong start to the season with seven points (3-4-7) in five games.  He’s expected to play alongside Mika Zibanejad who he has skated with going back to training camp and Mats Zuccarello.  Oscar Lindberg is expected to be a healthy scratch to open up a spot for Kreider to return.
  • Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray is expected to return to the lineup tonight, notes Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. It has been a rocky season for the 23 year old so far.  He has missed the last four games with an upper body issue and has also missed time with a lower body issue suffered while blocking a shot in the season opener.  As a result, he has only seen action in two games this season.  Murray logged nearly 23 minutes a game last year and will be a welcome addition for John Tortorella’s blueline moving forward.

Ducks Looking To Make Trade To Clear Cap Space For RFAs

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Pierre McGuire today spoke with Blake Price of TSN 1040 in Vancouver and ssiad that the Ducks were in talks with a team in the Eastern Conference to “unload a significant contract,” presumably in order to clear enough space to re-sign RFAs Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell, according to this tweet from Price. We discussed Lindholm’s situation specifically earlier today, and if McGuire is accurate it would seem the Ducks and the Swedish-born defenseman have made enough progress on a new contract to prompt Anaheim to scour the trade market.

Earlier reports have placed Linholm’s asking price to be in the $6MM – $6.5MM range annually with the Ducks preferring to keep the AAV at around $5.5MM. For his part Rakell is looking for a contract similar to that which fellow Swede Victor Rask signed this summer: six years with an AAV of $4MM. Even if the parties meet somewhere in the middle of their respective positions, it looks like Anaheim will need somewhere between $9MM and $10MM of cap space to re-sign Lindholm and Rakell.

At this moment, the Ducks have around $7.5MM in available space according to Cap Friendly; meaning they will need to free up an additional $2MM to $3MM. It’s long been suggested Anaheim could move one of their other defensemen – Cam Fowler has been mentioned frequently – if needed, and they do have five on the roster – not counting Lindholm – slated to earn upwards of $3MM in 2016-17. The Ducks also boast enough young defensive depth in Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour to make the hypothetical loss of a veteran blue liner manageable.

Detroit has long been thought to be in the market for a top-four blue liner and has been linked to Fowler in the past. However it must be noted that the Ducks wouldn’t appear to be interested in taking back much, if any salary in a trade. Detroit is currently over the cap – though placing Johan Franzen and Joe Vitale on LTIR would bring the club within compliance – and would therefore seem a long shot to add salary without sending a contract back in the exchange.

Boston is another club who could use some help on the back end. They have enough room under the cap ceiling but may rather elect to see if some of their younger defenders evolve into top-four options as opposed to swinging a deal for an expensive veteran.

A wild card might come in the form of New Jersey, who could conceivably be interested in bringing in more blue line depth even after inking Kyle Quincey to a one-year contract earlier this week. The Devils have plenty of cap space and created a void on the back end earlier in the offseason in the Taylor Hall-for-Adam Larsson trade. Plus it’s interesting to note Devils GM Ray Shero was running things in Pittsburgh when the Penguins  drafted Simon Despres in the first round and perhaps Shero would be interested in reuniting with another of his former charges. Shedding Despres’ $3.7MM cap charge would free up the needed space for the Ducks to re-sign both Lindholm and Rakell, though the notion of trading Sespres is purely speculative.

Latest On Rickard Rakell

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In a series of tweets Wednesday evening, Bob McKenzie shed some light on the status of restricted free agent Rickard Rakell.  Still unsigned, Rakell has been rehabbing from appendectomy surgery performed in September, and is still unable to skate or work out, though he’s expected to get back on the ice in another week.

While the young forward is rehabbing, McKenzie reports that there is an ongoing dialogue between his camp and the Ducks; a promising sign to be sure. From the player side, a contract like the one Victor Rask of Carolina received, $4MM per season for six years, is a starting point though Anaheim does not want to commit that much money to a player who has only 165 games under his belt.

Last season was a breakout for the Swedish centerman, as he increased his goal total from nine to twenty, and estabilished himself as a legitimate top-six player.  While Anaheim doesn’t have any interest in a bridge deal, McKenzie speculates that a six-year deal paying Rakell under $4MM per season is what it will ultimately come down to.

If Anaheim can get him for that much, it would be quite beneficial to both sides.  The Ducks would have their young second-line center locked up long term for a reasonable hit, and would be ecstatic if he developed into the 60+ point player his potential shows. Rakell, on the other hand, would guarantee himself a big paycheck even if 2015-16 was a career high in goals.

Rakell was never the biggest scorer in junior (though he did have very solid numbers), and he was thought of coming into the draft as a respectable player at all facets.  At 23, if he can solidify himself as a perennial 20-25 goal man, he’d hit the open market at 29 with the chance for another big contract.

Carolina Hurricanes Extend Ron Francis

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After a successful offseason that saw the Hurricanes bring in Teuvo Teravainen, Lee Stempniak and get a new deal inked with young forward Victor Rask, the team has decided to extend Executive Vice President and General Manager Ron Francis through the 2018-19 season.

Francis, who ranks fifth all-time in NHL scoring with 1798 points throughout his 23-year playing career, has been the Carolina GM since taking over the role from Jim Rutherford (now Pittsburgh GM) in 2014. Under his leadership the team was a surprise playoff contender for much of last season, despite having one of the youngest groups in the NHL.

With players like Rask, Teravainen, Jeff Skinner, and Elias Lindholm being joined up front by Finnish sniper Sebastian Aho and recent draftee Julien Gauthier, while the blueline is guarded by a group almost all under the age of 26, Francis has built one of the premiere young teams in the NHL and will surely find his way back into the postseason before long.

Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes

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After a season which many fans and front office types would consider a success, the youthful Carolina Hurricanes came closer to a playoff spot than many believed they would. With a blue line that was built for today’s NHL, the ’Canes were quick and resilient, leading to 86 points and many encouraging signs.

The team even pulled the trigger on what was once considered an unthinkable trade, dealing long-time captain and face of the franchise Eric Staal to the New York Rangers months before he became an unrestricted free agent.  The return of that deal – two second round draft picks – has already been used to acquire another good young player, taking Teuvo Teravainen off the Blackhawks’ hands in return for paying Bryan Bickell this season.

The Hurricanes are a cap-floor team, meaning they will not spend the entire $71 million allowed this season.  They are, however poised for another season of growth, with Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin leading from the back end.

Key Restricted Free Agent: C Victor Rask – Among the talented young forward group, Victor Rask stands out. His rise from second round pick to twenty-goal man has come quicker than many expected, eclipsing the mark in just his second NHL season. After what was an excellent rookie year (33 points), Rask proved he could skate with the big boys in 2015-16, racking up 48 points and tying $6MM dollar man Jordan Staal for second on the team.

While his possession numbers dipped playing against stronger competition, Rask is still only 23 and finding his footing among his NHL peers. Grouped with Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and now Teravainen, he could be part of an excellent core going forward for the ’Canes.

Expect him to get something similar to the two-year, $5.4MM extension Lindholm received last summer. While Rask has slightly better production than Lindholm had at the time, he trails a bit in the pedigree department – Lindholm was drafted fifth overall in 2013 and broke in as a 19-year old.

Other RFAs: LW Brendan Woods, D Michal Jordan, D Ryan Murphy

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Riley Nash – Just a few days ago the ’Canes key UFA would have been long-time goaltender Cam Ward, but after re-signing him to a two-year $6.6MM deal, they have almost no one of importance headed out on the market.

Nash represents the best of the group, and after another underwhelming but effective season as a bottom six forward should get plenty of interest on the market. Nash will never be an offensive dynamo, but plays a smart possession game against some tough opponents. While it might be a bit disappointing given his first-round pick status, he’ll play for a long time in the NHL with this style.

He’s coming off a year in which he earned $1.15MM and chipped in with 22 points, seeing his ice-time drop off with the emergence of the other young forwards.  If Carolina doesn’t bring him back, look for him to get another deal around the league for somewhere under $2MM per season.

Other UFAs: F Nathan Gerbe, F Ryan Malone, W Chris Terry

Projected Cap Space: $22.5MM, 19 players under contract.

As stated above, Carolina won’t be spending up to the cap and are focused on the slow burn of rebuilding. That being said, they did have a cap hit of $61 million last season, and could have some money to spend this year.  After seeing Staal and his big contract shipped out, it would be surprising to see him back, but if they have concerns about James Wisniewski’s surgically repaired knee, they might go after one of the younger defensemen on the market.

Also watch for them to eat salary in return for assets like they did with Bickell, including being a destination for the $7.5MM cap-hit of Pavel Datsyuk after his retirement from the NHL.

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