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Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Sean Day

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12/14/23: The Lightning today returned Myers and Chaffee back to Syracuse. Chaffee dressed for and played in the team’s 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks two days ago, but Myers did not. Replacing Myers as Tampa’s spare defenseman is Sean Day, who has been recalled from the Crunch.

Day is a 25-year-old left-shot defenseman who worked his way up from the ECHL to become one of Syracuse’s more reliable blueliners. He was most recently listed as a second-pairing defenseman in Syracuse, and has two games of NHL experience. Both of those games came from Day’s best season, 2021-22, when he scored 40 points in 69 games for the Crunch.

12/12/23: The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Mitchell Chaffee from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

These are not recalls the Lightning have enough cap space to make without any corresponding moves, according to CapFriendly. So CapFriendly notes that the team has likely shifted injured forward Conor Sheary from regular injured reserve to the long-term injured list, a move that would effectively clear as much as $2MM in cap space for the team to work with.

Myers, 26, is a smooth-skating six-foot-six right-shot defenseman who has played most of this season in the AHL for the Crunch. He’s played in one NHL contest this season, a November 14th shutout loss to the St. Louis Blues, and has otherwise played in a minutes-eating role for the Crunch.

A veteran of over 150 NHL games, Myers will provide some cover on defense for the Lightning in case any of its blueliners are unavailable tonight for the team’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

As for Chaffee, the 25-year-0ld has, unlike Myers, not yet made his Lightning debut. Signed out of the Minnesota Wild organization over the summer, Chaffee is currently tied with Gage Goncalves for the Crunch scoring lead with 19 points in 21 games.

Chaffee missed most of last season with a knee injury, an ailment that limited him to just 10 games played. It’s possible that injury is what caused the Wild to opt not to tender Chaffee a contract in the offseason, but so far that decision has been to the Lightning’s benefit.

Chaffee has been one of the Crunch’s most important players and could end up providing some scoring ability in a depth role should he be called upon to play NHL games for the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Signs Ethan Gauthier To ELC

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they’ve signed forward Ethan Gauthier to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 18-year-old was selected 37th overall by Tampa Bay in the 2023 NHL entry draft and is currently playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League where he is an alternate captain of the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Gauthier is in his third season in the QMJHL, and currently has 13 goals and 17 assists in 28 games and will continue to play in Drummondville for the rest of this season. Over the course of his major junior career, Gauthier has amassed 61 goals and 77 assists in 159 career games split between the Voltigeurs and the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Gauthier is a Canadian national as his father was long-time NHL defenseman Denis Gauthier who is mostly known for his time with the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. Denis also played for Drummondville during his time in the QMJHL and was in Phoenix during the NHL lockout back in 2005 when Ethan was born.

Ethan played for Canada’s U18 team during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last year and had a very strong showing as he registered six goals and an assist in five games.

At this point Gauther has shown the Lightning enough to warrant an ELC, and if his development continues on a similar trajectory he could be an important piece for Tampa Bay moving forward. His new deal will begin in the 2024-25 season.

Victor Hedman Out Day-To-Day

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that star defenseman Victor Hedman will be out of the lineup day-to-day. The news came just minutes before the team is set to hit the ice to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Hedman was considered a game-time decision earlier in the day and will not dress this evening. Tampa Bay did not provide specifics on the ailment, simply calling it an upper-body injury at this time.

The Lightning have dealt with several injuries to key contributors this season and will now have to deal with one to their top defenseman. Hedman has been on a tear offensively in the first third of the season, registering five goals and 22 assists in 29 games. While those numbers are certainly impressive, context is important. 16 of Hedman’s 27 points have come on the power play as Hedman’s even-strength numbers have not been as strong this season when compared to previous years. Part of that could be that the Lightning aren’t icing as competitive of a team, but Hedman’s play does raise the question as to whether he has been dealing with an underlying issue.

With Hedman out of the lineup, Mikhail Sergachev will likely slide into his spot of the top defensive pairing as well as on the power play. His minutes will likely increase as could Carp, Ontario’s Calvin de Haan who will likely see a bump into the Lightning’s top 4.

If Hedman is out long-term, the Lightning may have a tough time replacing his minutes, which would not be good news for a team that is sitting outside of the playoff picture at the moment.

Lightning Assign Cole Koepke To Minors

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The Lightning reassigned forward Cole Koepke to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch on Monday, per a team release. Koepke, who has been on the Lightning’s roster for nearly a month, had been a healthy scratch in four of the last five games.

Head coach Jon Cooper utilized Koepke extremely sparingly since his November recall, never icing him for more than ten minutes in any of his eight appearances this season. The 25-year-old winger managed to record two assists and seven shots on goal nonetheless after recording six points in 11 games with Syracuse to begin the season.

A 2018 sixth-round pick, Koepke was a surprise inclusion on the Lightning’s opening-night roster last season after spending all of 2021-22 in the minors. After scoring just once in 17 contests, however, the Lightning returned Koepke to Syracuse in December, where he remained for the balance of the season.

His offensive production in Syracuse disappointed the rest of the day, recording seven goals and 19 points in 52 games despite scoring 20 goals the season before. Despite that, the Lightning decided to extend Koepke before his contract expired last summer, signing him to a one-year, two-way deal with a guaranteed salary of $150K in June.

Koepke’s return to the minors suggests captain Steven Stamkos could be able to return from an illness tomorrow against the Canucks. The Lightning dressed 11 forwards (including Koepke) and seven defensemen in their last game, holding Stamkos out of the lineup and making enforcer Austin Watson a healthy scratch.

The Minnesota-born winger will be eligible for salary arbitration if he reaches restricted free agency next summer.

Brendan Smith And Austin Watson Fined By DOPS

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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety had a busy day today levying two fines to two different players. New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Austin Watson will be both lighter in the wallet after the official announcements this afternoon.

Smith was fined for a dangerous trip in last night’s game against the Seattle Kraken. The incident occurred midway through the third period when Smith tripped Kraken center Devin Shore, which led to a minor penalty. Smith’s fine is the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement and will cost him $2,864.58. Smith’s fine comes just a week after he was suspended two games for slashing Philadelphia forward Travis Konecny.

Meanwhile, Watson was fined for an incident that occurred at the end of regulation in a game against the Nashville Predators. Watson fired a puck at Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and was quickly assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and a 10-minute misconduct. The penalties had little consequence for Watson as the game was over at that point, however, they did initiate a brawl on the ice. Watson will face a fine of $2,022.57 which is the maximum allowed under the CBA. Lauzon appeared injured on the play and struggled to get off the ice as he slammed his stick in frustration, no word yet on his status.

The money from both players’ fines will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Injury Notes: San Jose Sharks, Conor Sheary, Timothy Liljegren

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San Jose Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov returned to the team’s practice for the first time since his October 24th finger injury. Barbanov did not take part in line rushes during the team skate, suggesting that he still isn’t ready to return just yet. The Sharks were also without top winger Tomas Hertl at the Thursday practice. Hertl has been out of action since November 25th with a mid-body injury.

The loss of the wingers is a hit to the Sharks forward group. Hertl substantially leads the team in points, scoring four goals and 16 points through his first 21 games. Fabian Zetterlund, who has nine points in 22 games, ranks second on the team in scoring – significantly behind Hertl. And while Barabanov has gone without a point through the six games he’s managed this season, he did record 15 goals and 47 points in 68 games last year – adding 20 penalty minutes and a -30. His point totals ranked fifth on the 2022-23 Sharks.

Other injury notes around the league:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shared that Conor Sheary is working closer to a return. Tampa is gearing up for a six-game road trip that begins in Nashville and then takes the team across the Northwest, beginning on December 7th. Cooper said that Sheary will likely play at some point on the road trip, albeit likely one of the later games.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe shared that Timothy Liljegren has returned to on-ice activities but isn’t yet close to a return. Liljegren has been out since November 2nd with an ankle injury. The 24-year-old defenseman has appeared in 10 games this season, notching one assist and a -1. He totaled six goals and 18 points in 67 games last season.

Andrei Vasilevskiy Will Start Today For Lightning

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced that head coach Rick Bowness has returned to the team after taking a leave of absence to be with his wife following a medical emergency. Bowness left the team a month ago and associate coach Scott Arniel served as interim head coach while Bowness was with his family.

Bowness will officially re-join the team and serve as head coach today when the Jets take on the Florida Panthers. Winnipeg surprisingly sits in third place in the Central Division with an 11-5-2 record, they trail division leaders the Dallas Stars by just two points.

Bowness met up with the Jets in Sunrise, Florida today and the team posted a video of the 68-year-old circling the clubs dressing room and greeting the players. The Jets rallied after a slow start to the season and managed to go 9-2-2 in Bowness’s absence. With their head coach now back in the fold, the Jets appear poised to go on a run as one of the feel-good stories in the early part of the NHL season.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Tampa Bay Times writer Eduardo A. Encina is reporting that Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy will make his season debut today when the team takes on the Carolina Hurricanes. Vasilevskiy was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate today signalling that he will make his return from back surgery. The 2019 Vezina Trophy winner has yet to dress this season and should provide a jolt to a team that has been treading water early in the year. Tampa Bay is 9-6-5 which is good enough for third in the Atlantic Division and impressive for a team that had to play a quarter of the season without one of the best goaltenders in the world.
  • Chicago Sun-Times writer Ben Pope tweeted today that Chicago Blackhawks forward Corey Perry will not play again today and that no further updates have been given. Perry missed practice after being a healthy scratch on Wednesday for what was deemed an ‘organizational decision.’ It appears he will remain a healthy scratch for the time being as the Blackhawks take on the Toronto Maple Leafs this afternoon. Perry has four goals and five assists in 16 games this season and has registered a -6.

Lightning Waive Matt Tomkins, Prepared To Activate Andrei Vasilevskiy

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11/24: CapFriendly is reporting that Tomkins has successfully cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Also, the Lightning will activate Vasilevskiy from LTIR, which effectively eliminates all salary cap space for the Lightning for the 2023-24 season.

11/23: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed goaltender Matt Tomkins on waivers, which is the last logistical step needed to make room for Andrei Vasilevskiy’s return. Vasilevskiy participated in team practices last week and head coach Jon Cooper said there was a “really good chance” that he plays on the team’s upcoming three-game road trip.

This is huge news, as the 9-6-5 Lightning – who currently sit in 10th-place league-wide – will now add a former Vezina Trophy winner back into their lineup. Vasilevskiy has been no short of tremendous in the NHL, recording a save percentage higher than .910 in all nine seasons of his career. This includes the .915 he set in 60 games last season. To add to it, only Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck appeared in more games for their squads between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, speaking to the reliability that Vasilevskiy has added in recent years.

Tomkins managed to slot into three NHL games in Vasilevskiy’s absence, going 1-2-0 and recording a .889 save percentage. They were the first three NHL games for the former seventh-round pick, who has had a journeyman career since hearing his name in the 2012 NHL Draft. Tomkins was drafted out of the AJHL and played four years at The Ohio State University after his juniors career. He turned pro in the 2017-18 season and bounced between the ECHL and AHL, before moving to the SHL, Sweden’s top league, for the last two years. Tomkins performed admirably in the SHL, recording a .908 in 33 games in his first season in the league and a .911 in 32 games last year.

With teams like the Edmonton Oilers, and the injury-prone Carolina Hurricanes, currently facing questions about their goaltenders, there’s no guaranteeing that Tomkins will make it to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.

Andrei Vasilevskiy Could Return In The Next Week

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Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic is reporting that Florida Panthers star center Aleksander Barkov will not dress tonight for the Panthers matchup with the Boston Bruins. It will be the second game in a row that the 28-year-old has missed after suffering a knee injury in Friday night’s win over the Anaheim Ducks. Knee injuries can be tricky, and it appears that the Panthers are opting to proceed cautiously with Barkov’s return to the line-up.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice did tell Florida play-by-play broadcaster Doug Plagens that Barkov could return as early as Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. If he can return, Barkov and the Panthers will have dodged a major injury scare as the collision that sidelined Barkov could have been much worse. Barkov currently sits second on the Panthers in scoring with six goals and 11 assists in 16 games.

In other injury notes:

  • Tampa Bay Times writer Eduardo A. Encina is reporting that Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters today that there is a very good chance that star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will play on the team’s upcoming road trip. Vasilevskiy took part in Tampa Bay’s morning skate today but still is not ready to play. The Lighting will open their three-game road trip this Friday in Carolina and then get a few days off before they play a back-to-back in Colorado and then Arizona next Monday and Tuesday. Given that timeline, it is possible that the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner will make his season debut in the next week.
  • Nashville Predators reporter Michael Gallagher tweeted that Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh skated with Roman Josi at practice this morning and is expected to return to game action this evening against the Calgary Flames. McDonagh has been out of action with a lower-body injury since November 2nd, missing the Predators last seven games. While he doesn’t offer much offensively, Nashville’s goaltenders badly missed the veteran. McDonagh is still a terrific penalty killer and does a very good job limiting his opponent’s offensive opportunities. Nashville gave up 20 goals in a four-game losing streak in McDonagh’s absence but has rallied off two straight wins since. They currently sit sixth in the Central Division with a 7-10 record.

Injury Updates On Anthony Cirelli, Luke Glendening

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  • The Lightning saw center Anthony Cirelli return to practice today in a full-contact jersey, Chris Krenn of the team’s official site relayed. Cirelli played less than six minutes in Thursday’s win over the Blackhawks and missed Saturday’s win over the Oilers with an undisclosed injury. Winger Tyler Motte moved to center the team’s third line in Cirelli’s absence. In the first season of an eight-year, $50MM extension signed in the summer of 2022, Cirelli has posted two goals, seven points and a -1 rating in 17 contests. The 26-year-old has continued to maintain a stellar defensive profile despite the mediocre plus-minus rating, as his line with Tanner Jeannot and Michael Eyssimont has a team-high expected goals share of 78.9%, per MoneyPuck. He’s also sporting a career-high faceoff win percentage of 56.4%.

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