Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Zac Dalpe

Zac Dalpe Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Longtime minor-league forward Zac Dalpe, who appeared in parts of 12 NHL seasons with numerous clubs over the past two decades, has announced his retirement via an open letter published on the Charlotte Checkers’ website.

Dalpe, 35, scored 16 goals, 16 assists, and 32 points with a -37 rating in 168 career regular-season games with the Blue Jackets, Panthers, Wild, Canucks, Sabres, and Hurricanes, who drafted him No. 45 overall back in 2008. He made 16 playoff appearances, 13 of which came in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023.

The versatile center/winger spent more time in the AHL with Charlotte than anywhere else, including as their captain for the last four seasons while under contract with the Panthers. They were also the Hurricanes’ minor-league affiliate when he was in Carolina’s system. He scored 131 goals and 238 points in 362 games there across seven campaigns, sitting third in franchise history in goals.

“Pulling that Checkers sweater over my head and walking through the redline club on the way out to the bright lights will always be stapled in my head,” Dalpe said in his letter, which is truly worth a full read. “It started here and now it shall end here. I’m proud of what I got to do, but more importantly, I’m so proud of who I got to do it with. I appreciate every single person that was along for the greatest ride of my life. A Canadian kid got to be a hockey player for 15 years.”

While Dalpe never won a Stanley or Calder Cup, he was a two-time AHL All-Star and was part of the league’s All-Rookie Team back in 2010-11. He finishes his career with 220 goals, 172 assists, and 392 points in 574 AHL games. Only seven players have spent more seasons in the league than Dalpe’s 16.

Before turning pro, Dalpe was a star at Ohio State, where he scored 70 points in 76 games in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. He was a CCHA First Team All-Star in his second and final collegiate season.

All of us at PHR wish Dalpe the best in the next phase of his life and career and congratulate him on such a lengthy run of high-end play in the pros.

Image courtesy of James Guillory-Imagn Images.

Waiver Wire: 10/3/24

at CDT | by 7 Comments

All 12 players placed on waivers yesterday passed through unclaimed, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports. PuckPedia relays that 17 new names hit the wire today for teams to claim over the next 24 hours:

Calgary Flames

F Walker Duehr
F Dryden Hunt
D Jarred Tinordi

Florida Panthers

F Rasmus Asplund
D Tobias Björnfot
F Zac Dalpe
D Jaycob Megna

Nashville Predators

D Nick Blankenburg

Seattle Kraken

D Cale Fleury

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Nicholas Abruzzese

Utah Hockey Club

F Andrew Agozzino
D Patrik Koch
F Ben McCartney

Winnipeg Jets

F Axel Jonsson-Fjällby
D Simon Lundmark
F Mason Shaw
F Dominic Toninato

Panthers Notes: Ekblad, Sourdif, Bennett

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

PuckPedia tweeted that the Florida Panthers made a move today to officially place star defenseman Aaron Ekblad on the long-term injured reserve. The transaction has been months in the making, but the Panthers officially completed the paperwork today. Ekblad is expected to miss at least the first month of the season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.

The move gives the Panthers some breathing room under the salary cap allowing them to facilitate other moves. Florida will be without Ekblad and fellow defenseman Brandon Montour for quite some time which could lead to expanded roles for Gustav Forsling and newcomer Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

One note on LTIR is that once a player is placed on it, they must miss at least ten games and 24 days, which means the earliest Ekblad could return is the first week of November.

The 2014 first-overall pick saw his numbers dip last season as the Panthers marched to the Stanley Cup finals. And with the root cause of his injury unknown, one might wonder if a fully healthy Ekblad could be ready for a monster bounce-back season.

In other Panthers notes:

  • The Panthers announced that they have recalled forward Justin Sourdif from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The recall comes mere hours after the team assigned the 21-year-old to the AHL along with veterans Zac Dalpe and Casey Fitzgerald. The Richmond, British Columbia native posted seven goals and 17 assists as a rookie last season in the AHL, dressing in 48 games. The Panthers open the regular season against the Minnesota Wild on October 12th.
  • Panthers forward Sam Bennett may be back in Florida’s lineup sooner than later as David Dwork of The Hockey News is reporting that the team is toying with the idea of bringing Bennett on their upcoming road trip. The 27-year-old has been ruled out of their season opener on Thursday but may travel with the team as they head up to Winnipeg for a game on Saturday and New Jersey next Monday. Bennett was seen in a walking boot on October 7th after being injured in a preseason game on October 5th, however, the injury doesn’t appear as severe as first reported.

Waivers: 10/08/23

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Oct. 9: Four players on this list were claimed today: A.J. Greer (Calgary), John Ludvig (Pittsburgh), Ivan Prosvetov (Colorado), and Lassi Thomson (Ottawa). All others have cleared and are expected to be assigned to their team’s respective AHL affiliates, aside from Boyd, who PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports remains on the Coyotes’ active roster for now.

Oct. 8: It’s expected to be a busy day on the waiver wire, as NHL teams are making their final adjustments to the roster they’ll bring into the start of the 2023-24 season. There have already been numerous notable names exposed to the waiver wire thus far this preseason, and that list could only expand today. All players from yesterday’s waiver wire have cleared.

Anaheim Ducks

D Lassi Thomson
G Alex Stalock
F Andrew Agozzino

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
F A.J. Greer

Arizona Coyotes

F Travis Boyd
F Zach Sanford
G Ivan Prosvetov

Carolina Hurricanes

D Dylan Coghlan

Chicago Blackhawks

F Joey Anderson

Colorado Avalanche

F Riley Tufte

Dallas Stars

F Riley Damiani

Detroit Red Wings

F Zach Aston-Reese

Edmonton Oilers

F Raphael Lavoie
F Lane Pederson
D Ben Gleason

Florida Panthers

F Zac Dalpe
D John Ludvig
D Casey Fitzgerald

Los Angeles Kings

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Montreal Canadiens

F Joel Armia
D Gustav Lindström

Ottawa Senators

F Bokondji Imama

Pittsburgh Penguins

G Magnus Hellberg
F Colin White
D Mark Friedman
F Vinnie Hinostroza
F Radim Zohorna

St. Louis Blues
F Mackenzie MacEachern
D Calle Rosen
G Malcolm Subban
F Nathan Walker

Tampa Bay Lightning

D Zach Bogosian
F Gabriel Fortier

Toronto Maple Leafs

G Martin Jones
F Kyle Clifford
F Dylan Gambrell
D William Lagesson
D Maxime Lajoie

Vancouver Canucks

F Jack Studnicka
D Christian Wolanin

Vegas Golden Knights

F Grigori Denisenko

Winnipeg Jets

D Kyle Capobianco
G Collin Delia
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

The big surprise here out of Arizona regards Boyd. The versatile 30-year-old veteran doesn’t have an exorbitant contract (just $1.75MM through the end of the season) and has scored 69 points across the last two seasons.

He’s been something of a breakout player for the Coyotes as his 17-goal, 35-point 2022-23 was far and away his best season in his career, so it’s definitely a surprise to see him exposed on waivers.

For Anaheim, the move to waive Stalock likely means that Lukáš Dostál has won the Ducks’ backup goalie job behind John Gibson, as should Stalock clear the Ducks will have the option to send him down to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

In Edmonton, it comes as a little bit of a surprise to see Lavioe waived. The 23-year-old power forward was drafted just outside of the 2019 first round, and took a real step forward in his development last season. He became a genuinely impactful AHLer, scoring 25 goals and 45 points. He’s a name to watch in terms of players with the potential to be claimed out of this group.

Anderson-Dolan finally made the NHL on an extended basis last season, and scored 12 points in 46 games. He even got some playoff action under his belt, but seeing as he was a near-point-per-game scorer in his last season in the AHL, it seems the Kings could prefer to have him start the season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

Rosen appears the likeliest candidate from the Blues’ group of waived players to be of interest to other teams, as he’s owed just a $762.5k cap hit this season and impressed in 49 games of NHL action last season. He scored 18 points in that span and could interest teams in need of some additional defensive help.

Out of Tampa is Bogosian, and it’s reported that the Lightning are hoping to put the veteran blueliner in a position to land on another team where he can play a bigger role than he’d be offered in Tampa. The 33-year-old won a Stanley Cup for the Lightning and it seems that the organization is looking to do right by the player while also turning to other options to staff their defense.

One of the biggest names on waivers comes out of Toronto, as Jones played in 48 games last season but now finds himself exposed to 31 other clubs. With an $875k cap hit, the veteran netminder could end up claimed by teams in need of instant goaltending support, such as the Lightning who don’t have much depth after the injury to superstar Andrei Vasilevskiy.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Florida Panthers Extend Zac Dalpe

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with veteran forward Zac Dalpe on a two-year, two-way contract extension, the team announced Monday morning. CapFriendly reports Dalpe will earn the league minimum $775,000 each season, with $400,000 in minors salary in 2023-24 and $350,000 in 2024-25. He’s guaranteed $400,000 in the second year of the deal.

The extension keeps him a Panther until the summer of 2025 when he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. Dalpe, 33, has suited up in 14 NHL games for Florida this season, his highest total since he played 21 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2014-15.

A 2008 second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, Dalpe has never carved out a lengthy full-time NHL career. He’s become one of the most recognizable names in the minors, however, and he’s become one of the highest-scoring players in Charlotte Checkers history, given they are Florida’s current AHL affiliate and the former affiliate of the Hurricanes.

Dalpe has been Charlotte’s captain for the past two seasons, and he’ll likely hold that title for the duration of his contract. With 14 AHL seasons and nearly 500 games under his belt, Dalpe is a valuable presence to developing Panthers making their way through Charlotte.

In the big leagues this season, Dalpe has scored two goals and two assists. He’s added 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points in 41 games with Charlotte, sitting among the team’s points-per-game leaders.

General manager Bill Zito gave the following statement on Dalpe’s extension:

Zac is a natural leader and his impact on our franchise is felt on and off the ice. A high-character athlete and relentlessly competitive forward, we are grateful for his continued dedication to our organization.

Florida Panthers Recall Grigori Denisenko, Zac Dalpe

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have announced the recall of forwards Grigori Denisenko and Zac Dalpe from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. The move comes as the Panthers are dealing with injuries to key players, including captain Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett, who are both day-to-day with “lingering injury issues,” per head coach Paul Maurice.

Denisenko returns to the NHL after being sent to the minors two days ago. The 21-year-old Russian has appeared in 17 games for the Panthers this season, recording three assists. The Panthers’ first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Denisenko is known for his speed and skill, but his NHL opportunities have been limited, and he’s still searching for his first NHL goal.

Dalpe, 31, has scored 14 goals in 32 games for the Checkers this season and remains the team’s captain. A veteran of nearly 500 AHL games, Dalpe also has two goals and two assists in 11 appearances with Florida this season. He provides veteran depth in a fourth-line role for the Panthers after they lost Chris Tierney on waivers to the Montreal Canadiens yesterday.

In addition to the recalls, the Panthers will get a boost tonight in perhaps their biggest game of the year against the Buffalo Sabres, as the two teams remain in a tight Eastern Conference Wild Card race. As expected, Maurice confirmed Anthony Duclair will make his season debut after completing his recovery from an Achilles tear. The 27-year-old was a key contributor for the Panthers last season, recording 31 goals, 27 assists, and 58 points in 74 games.

To create the salary cap flexibility needed to activate Duclair and allow for the recalls, it’s expected that Givani Smith was placed on long-term injured reserve. The 24-year-old forward was hit in the face by a shot from teammate Radko Gudas during a game Monday. Smith has appeared in 22 games for the Panthers this season, recording a goal and three assists after he was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings.

Panthers Waive Zac Dalpe

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Jan 15, 1:14 pm: Dalpe cleared waivers today, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Florida is clear to assign the minor-league veteran to AHL Charlotte.

Jan 14, 1:06 pm: The Panthers have made a roster move in advance of their game tonight against Vancouver as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve placed center Zac Dalpe on waivers.

The 33-year-old has been up with Florida since December 6th and has gotten into 11 games with the Panthers, putting up respectable numbers in a limited role as he has two goals and two assists in that stretch despite averaging just 9:31 per night of ice time on the fourth line.  However, he has been a healthy scratch in seven of their last eight games.  He has seen NHL action in 12 of the last 13 seasons although he has just 165 career appearances under his belt.

While Dalpe has already cleared waivers this season, the fact he has been up for more than a month and gotten into more than ten games means that he will need to pass through them again to make it back to the AHL.

That shouldn’t be too much of a risk for Florida as Dalpe has cleared waivers seven times throughout his career while only being claimed once (by Columbus back in 2017).  He has been a strong scorer in the minors for several seasons now and was off to a good start with AHL Charlotte prior to the recall, notching ten goals and five assists in 19 games with the Checkers.  Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to place a claim on Dalpe, who’s in the second and final season of a two-year, two-way deal that carries a $750K cap hit.

Florida Panthers Recall Zac Dalpe

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With a pair of preseason games remaining against their cross-state rivals, the Florida Panthers have recalled Zac Dalpe from the minor leagues. The team plays the Tampa Bay Lightning at home tonight and then on the road on Saturday afternoon, with the regular season just around the corner.

Dalpe, 32, played just a single NHL game for the team last season but was an awesome (if hilarious) contributor in the minor leagues. The veteran forward had 30 goals in 68 games but managed to register just nine assists. That was the opposite stat line of prospect Aleksi Heponiemi, who also had 39 points for the minor Charlotte Checkers.

Bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL is nothing new for Dalpe, who has 154 appearances at the highest level over a 12-year career. He has 28 points in those games and likely won’t be playing a regular role for the Panthers this season, even if they suffer several injuries. Instead, he is the kind of player who can jump into a game and quickly understand the team’s system, while posing no risk of claim on waivers when he needs to go back down. Checkers fans will have a much better chance of seeing him, as he continues to serve as the team’s captain this season.

AHL Shuffle: 10/31/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There’s a light schedule on this Halloween Sunday, with only five games on the NHL’s docket. Nevertheless, there should be some action on the recall and reassignment front as teams deal with short-term roster absences. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled defenseman Cal Foote from his conditioning stint with the Syracuse Crunch today, per a team release. The 22-year-old, who’s arguably Tampa Bay’s top defense prospect, hasn’t played in the NHL yet this season after undergoing finger surgery during training camp. He’ll likely draw into the lineup on the team’s third pairing with Mikhail Sergachev, letting veteran Andrej Sustr, who’s averaged just 10:48 per game in seven contests, return to the press box or minors.
  • According to Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, the Florida Panthers are re-assigning forward Zac Dalpe and defenseman Chase Priskie to the Charlotte Checkers. Dalpe was recalled just yesterday but was forced into action with Sam Bennett unable to go. Priskie’s shuffled up and down multiple times this season due to him not being waiver-eligible but hasn’t gotten into game action yet with the Panthers.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs returned goalie Michael Hutchinson to the Toronto Marlies yesterday. Petr Mrazek is once again healthy and after playing against the Detroit Red Wings last night, Hutchinson’s emergency recall is now over.
  • Forward Jack Studnicka has been returned to Providence by the Boston Bruins, according to the AHL’s transactions page. Studnicka, one of their top forward prospects, has one assist in three games with the big club this season.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, per the team. The move comes after Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel were added to the COVID-19 protocol today. Joseph will likely make his season debut during this call-up after notching five points in 16 games with Pittsburgh last year, his first NHL action.

Central Division

  • St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube says that the team will recall goalie Joel Hofer from the Springfield Thunderbirds after Ville Husso entered COVID-19 protocol today. The 21-year-old Hofer was a fourth-round selection by the Blues in 2018 and could make his NHL debut this coming week as the team’s next two games fall on back-to-back nights. A WHL and World Junior champion, Hofer’s started strong with a .936 save percentage and 3-0-1 record in Springfield this year.

Pacific Division

  • The Anaheim Ducks recalled Sam Carrick from the San Diego Gulls after announcing forward Jakob Silfverberg entered the league’s COVID-19 protocol today, per The Athletic’s Eric Stephens. The news comes after Silfverberg’s mysterious brief disappearance from the Ducks’ public roster yesterday. This is Carrick’s second NHL stint this season, playing 9:51 in his only game with the Ducks in 2021-22.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett Day-To-Day With Upper Body Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Florida Panthers reporter Jameson Olive tweets that forward Sam Bennett is out of the lineup Saturday night against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury. His status is day-to-day.

In his place, Zac Dalpe, who was recalled today from the Charlotte Checkers, will make his Panthers debut. As corresponding roster moves, Anton Lundell and Joe Thornton have been placed on injured reserve, per the team.

Bennett has flourished after being dealt to the Panthers at the trade deadline last season. Centering the Panthers’ second line between Jonathan Huberdeau and Owen Tippett, Bennett has four goals and three assists in seven games for the undefeated Panthers this year. Combined with his incredible finish to last season, he has 22 points through his first 18 games as a Panther.

If this injury bug persists for Florida, they’ve already built up a five-point cushion on first place in the Atlantic Division. Undefeated through eight games, they’ll rely on their solid forward depth now to keep them at the top of the league.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top