Minor Transactions: 10/19/19
Some of the NHL’s best teams early on were at it last night. The Avalanche maintained their unblemished loss column with a comeback win over the Panthers in overtime; the Penguins added their sixth win by handing the Stars their fourth straight regulation loss; the Oilers moved to 7-1 with a win over the Red Wings, and the six-win Ducks edged out the six-win Hurricanes. It’s a busy slate on Saturday with 22 teams taking the ice, including several more top contests, such as Colorado-Tampa Bay, Vegas-Pittsburgh, and of course Boston-Toronto. With so much action and many teams looking to keep their strong starts going, follow along with what could be a flurry of activity today:
- After sending him to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs to get his first taste of pro competition, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they have recalled No. 3 overall pick Kirby Dach from his conditioning stint. Dach failed to record a point in three games with Rockford and it will be interesting to see where the Blackhawks go from here. The team can still give Dach nine games of NHL experience before burning the first year of his entry-level contract, so there is plenty of time before the team is forced into a tough decision. However, the early results of Dach’s pro career would seem to indicate that he is likely headed back to the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades this season.
- The San Jose Sharks have shuffled their depth. After sending rookie forward Danil Yurtaykin back to the AHL Barracuda yesterday, CapFriendly reports that fellow rookie forward Lean Bergmann will follow him to the minors. In a combined ten games, Yurtaykin and Bergmann have recorded one lone point this season and the Sharks can’t afford that inefficient production in the midst of a poor start to the season. Noah Gregor has earned his first NHL recall in their place, having recorded three points in three games with the Barracuda after an 88-point WHL campaign last year. They hope Gregor, a fourth-round pick in 2016, can provide an offensive spark right away.
- The Washington Capitals have reassigned rookie defenseman Martin Fehervary to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, the team announced. While Fehervary began the season in D.C. he had been demoted until recently, when he was recalled as a precaution while Jonas Siegenthaler dealt with injury concerns. Finally, with a healthy stable of their seven top defensemen, the Capitals have no room for Fehervary right now and would rather he play big minutes in Hershey. Fehervary, the team’s 2018 second-rounder, did not look out of place in the NHL level and will one day be there permanently, but he’s likely in for a full season in the minors this year barring more injuries to the Washington blue line.
- Carolina Hurricanes prospect netminder Pyotr Kochetkov has been traded in the KHL. Kochetkov, 20, is coming off a dominant 2018-19 season that earned him a second-round selection in June as an overage player. The young Russian keeper was stellar at the World Junior Championship and in Russia’s second-tier VHL last year, as well as in his first two KHL appearances late in the campaign. However, taking on the primary backup role with powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg this season, Kotchetkov has struggled in six KHL games, posting a 2.66 GAA and .887 save percentage. He is still young to be facing this level of competition, especially in the offensively-inclined KHL, but SKA needed a more reliable backup as a top contender. As a result, the team pulled off a blockbuster trade with Vityaz Podolsk, sending Kochetkov as part of the package for the more established Alexander Samonov. Although he was the backup for Vityaz, Samonov has arguably been the best goalie in the KHL this year, nearly untouchable with a 0.88 GAA and .976 save percentage through seven appearances. He’ll provide more stability for SKA, while Podolsk is happy to be patient with one of the top goalie prospects in the league. Although a Hurricanes draft pick, if Kochetkov follows a typical Russian goalkeeper development path, he could remain with Vityaz for another three or four years.
- With Joel Eriksson Ek injured, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Gabriel Dumont will get the call for the Minnesota Wild. While Dumont may be a new name for Wild fans, the ten-year pro had been around for a while before signing in Minnesota this summer. With five points in five games for AHL Iowa, Dumont hopes to bring some offense with his experience as he joins the parent club. Russo notes that this is already the 28th player to grace the roster this season for the struggling Wild.
- After Daniel Carr cleared waivers on Wednesday, the Nashville Predators opted to keep him on the NHL roster while they dealt with an injury to Filip Forsberg. The team announced this morning that Carr has now been sent down to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. In his place, the Predators have recalled both long-time depth forward Miikka Salomaki and the untested Yakov Trenin. Trenin, a 2015 second-round pick, is in his third pro season but has played exclusively with Milwaukee – until now. With a team-leading five points in three games for the Admirals, Trenin has finally earned his call-up and will be an intriguing name to watch if he sees action in Nashville.
- With Jordan Oesterle dealing with a head injury after taking a shot to the back of the head on Thursday, the Coyotes will recall blueliner Aaron Ness from AHL Tucson, reports Craig Morgan of The Athletic. The 29-year-old is in his first season with Arizona after having a strong season with Hershey a year ago, one that saw him put up 55 points. That should help get him into some game action at some point during his recall.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled center Sam Gagner from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, while assigning forward Gaetan Haas to Bakersfield. The 30-year-old Gagner was acquired at the trade deadline last year from Vancouver, and played 25 games last season with the Oilers, but didn’t make the team out of training camp this year and has been playing with the Condors this season. He has two goals and two assists in four games there so far. Haas signed with Edmonton in July this summer out of the NLA, but the 27-year-old has just one assist in five games. The Edmonton Journals’ Jim Matheson reports that Haas isn’t thrilled about spending weeks in the AHL and the scribe believes that Haas has an out-clause to return to the Europe if he stays there. The team was hoping for some more offense from their bottom-six players. The hope Gagner might be able to provide some of that offense. Through eight games so far this season, the team has gotten no goals from Riley Sheahan, Jujhar Khaira, Patrick Russell, Josh Archibald, Markus Granlund, Tomas Jurco and Haas as the team has received all its offense from their top-six.
Overseas Notes: Toronto Targets, Zubov, Ullstrom
Free agency is never truly over. NHL executives keep an eye on impending free agents all year long and will take any opportunity to create a positive impression on a possible target. It’s no different when it comes to foreign talent, as recently demonstrated by Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas. KHL insider Igor Eronko reports that while scouting in Russia recently, Dubas met with two recognizable KHLers who are set to hit the open market next summer: Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Nesterov. Grigorenko, 25, was a first-round pick of Buffalo in 2012 who played over 200 games with the Sabres and Colorado Avalanche before returning home to Russia in 2017. The power forward was a top-ten scorer in the KHL last season and helped to lead CSKA Moscow to a Gagarin Cup title. He’s picked up right where he left off this season, recording 15 points through his first 16 games, and is likely to be highly sought-after by both KHL and NHL clubs this off-season. Nesterov, 26, is Grigorenko’s teammate for CSKA, coming over with him in 2017 after three NHL seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. Nesterov is a reliable defensive defenseman, which can often be hard to find in the KHL. He has played an important role for Moscow over the past two years, even if he doesn’t frequent the score sheet. Both Grigorenko and Nesterov are core pieces for CSKA and the team will not let them walk away easily. However, that didn’t stop Dubas from doing his due diligence on the duo in case they do become available. The Maple Leafs have been successful of late in prying talent from the KHL, including the likes of Par Lindholm, Igor Ozhiganov, and now Ilya Mikheyev. He appears to be readying himself for another run at Russia’s elite this summer.
- While most only think of Sergei Zubov as a former NHL defenseman, and soon a Hockey Hall of Famer, he has continued his hockey career overseas as a coach. After hanging up his skates in 2010, Zubov joined the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg as an assistant coach in 2011. He spent five years as an assistant with St. Petersburg and CSKA Moscow before being named head coach of HK Sochi ahead of the 2017-18 season. In two plus seasons, Zubov did not have as much success from the bench as he had on the ice in his playing career. Sochi qualified for the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but in both years they finished with a negative goal differential, last season they finished below .500 in the regular season, and they were bounced easily in the first round to end both postseason efforts. With just five wins in their first 17 games to begin this season, Sochi has opted for a coaching change. The KHL announced that Sochi has fired Zubov, who will now be left to look elsewhere for coaching work. Perhaps when he is in Toronto for Induction Weekend in November there will be NHL executives with interest in speaking to him about a full-time return to North America. A world-class talent on defense, it’s hard to imagine Zubov staying unemployed for long if he wished to continue coaching.
- Former New York Islander David Ullstrom is on his way out of the KHL. After spending last season with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, under contract with the Arizona Coyotes, Ullstrom returned to Europe this season, signing with Dinamo Riga of the KHL. However, he has already parted ways with Riga after playing in just eleven games. EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss NLA has scooped up the free agent forward, announcing that they have signed Ullstrom to a one-year contract. Ullstrom, 30, spent three seasons with the Islanders organization from 2010 to 2013, recording 13 points in 49 NHL games. While his ability was always apparent, the Swedish power forward struggled with puck security and decision-making, leading to a lack of trust at the top level. He has gone on to find success in the KHL and SHL in recent years, but never to the extent expected of him when he was a prospect. Ullstrom performed well with Tuscon last year, recording 23 points in 29 games, and some questioned his decision to return to Europe. He was never recalled by Arizona, but had his foot in the door with the organization. An NHL return seems unlikely now, but a strong season could get him back into AHL or even two-way contract consideration. He likely hopes that his first foray into Swiss hockey will produce a career season and possibly a multi-year deal, as he has played for nine different teams in the seven years since he left the Islanders and has never once spent more than a season and a half in one spot.
Penguins Notes: Trade Market, Ho-Sang, Malkin
Over the weekend, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed the sentiment from Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford that he is “not really that excited” about the names available on the trade market. It’s an echo of comments that the veteran executive made this summer about teams being unwilling to part with value or make a deal that he felt was a fair swap. The Penguins entered the season with a surplus of defensemen and a shortage of cap space, hoping to make a deal from their depth. That need to make a trade has only been exasperated by both injuries to the forward corps as well as the unexpected emergence of John Marino as an affordable NHL option on the blue line. Rutherford remains on the hunt for a trade, but thus far to no avail.
With that said, the equilibrium of the trade market shifted today with the announcement by the Arizona Coyotes that dependable defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson would be missing three months with a broken leg. The timing could not have been better for the Penguins, as Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that Arizona management was on hand in Winnipeg to watch the Jets host the Pens on Sunday ahead of their own match-up on Tuesday. The ‘Yotes are now another team that could be interested in acquiring a Penguins defenseman, particularly as they need to replace the solid defensive play of Hjalmarsson. Stay-at-home defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who was a healthy scratch for the Penguins last game, is one of the names available and would seemingly be a good fit in the desert. Arizona could also be interested in a cheaper addition like veteran Chad Ruhwedel or young Juuso Riikola. Of course, the player that most Penguins fans would like to be rid of is Jack Johnson – and the four years and $13MM remaining on his contract – but it remains a long shot that Pittsburgh will be able to trade Johnson without giving up another valuable piece of their own, whether they are dealing with Arizona or otherwise.
- Another deviation from Rutherford’s comments comes in the form of a report that he has taken a liking to an available player. Dan Kingerski or Pittsburgh Hockey Now cites a league source that says the Penguins have talked to the New York Islanders about ostracized young forward Josh Ho-Sang. Ho-Sang has struggled to find a role with New York early in his pro career and after once again failing to make the team out of camp, he was instructed by GM Lou Lamoriello not to report to the AHL, but instead to wait for the team to find him a new home via trade. On one hand, the Islanders’ willingness to move Ho-Sang and the fact that he was already available on waivers this season means that the asking price is likely low. On the other hand, this means that Rutherford could solve his need for help up front, but would be unlikely to find a taker of one of his defensemen in the Islanders. Ho-Sang would be a good fit in Pittsburgh as a player with NHL experience and skill who can move back and forth between the AHL. However, it remains to be seen if Rutherford is willing to make a trade where one of his nine NHL defensemen aren’t headed the other way.
- The timeline for Evgeni Malkin’s return from injury remains “uncertain”, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston this weekend. Malkin was injured when he went down awkwardly after a hit earlier this month and the Penguins have not updated his status with any concrete timeline. Johnston expects that Malkin will be out at least a month, dating back to when the injury occurred, which means there is hope he could return in early November. This would be the best-case scenario however and Pittsburgh is unlikely to rush him back, even in light of the three other regular forwards currently shelved by injuries. Malkin was not himself at times last year and his 21 goals in 68 games was far from the expectation. The Penguins would likely rather he take his time with recovery and get back to full strength before the second half and hopeful playoff run.
Coyotes’ Niklas Hjalmarsson Out Three Months With Broken Leg
When Niklas Hjalmarsson did not return to Saturday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche after blocking a shot, Arizona Coytes’ players, executives, and fans held their collective breaths that he hadn’t suffered a serious injury. Unfortunately, he has. The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reports that Hjalmarsson has a cracked fibula in his left leg. Morgan adds that recovery time is expected to be three months, meaning Hjalmarsson is done for the calendar year.
Visiting Colorado on Saturday, Hjalmarsson went to knee to block a shot from Erik Johnson. His left leg, which rested on the ice, took the full force of the howitzer from his Avalanche counterpart. Hjalmarsson skated off under his own power, but was clearly in pain. He went directly to the locker room and did not return. Prior to the revelation of the extent of his injury, the team recalled Kyle Capobianco, which implied that Hjalmarsson was prepared to miss some time. However, Morgan calls this three-month timelines the Coyotes’ worst fear.
It goes without saying that Hjalmarsson would be a major loss for any team. One of the more poised and consistent defensive defensemen in the whole league, Hjalmarsson has an omnipresent effect when he is on the ice and can be relied upon for perfect positioning, timely clears and outlets, and of course clutch shot-blocking. Yet, for Arizona in particular, this is a major blow. Expected to take a step forward this season, the ‘Yotes are out to a 1-2-1 start and have the league’s most anemic offense. While Hjalmarsson is a defensive specialist, his dependability allows other defenders to jump in on offense and creates a sense of calm when he is on the ice that contributes to more offensive focus. The Coyotes could hardly afford this setback as they look to get off to a good start in their pursuit of a return to the playoffs. Instead, they will have to deal with this loss well into January at the earliest. It’s another stroke of bad luck, as the long-time Chicago Blackhawk is now in his third season with the Coyotes, but it will be his second missing a large chunk of the season due to injury. Expect GM John Chayka and company to try replacing Hjalmarsson internally at first, but don’t be surprised if they look elsewhere for help if the losses continue to mount.
Minor Transactions: 10/14/19
Get ready for a full day of hockey. Monday’s lineup features four games being held at 1:00pm home team local time, as well as 3:00pm, 5:00pm, and 7:30pm. Among the story lines to watch are the Wild, Devils, and Blackhawks seeking their first wins of the season, the Avalanche and Oilers looking to stay perfect, and a collision of the league’s two stingiest teams, the Ducks and Bruins. Also to watch for are the roster moves made to open up the third week of the season. Keep up with all of the action here:
- The Ottawa Senators continue to routinely shuffle their forward group around early this season. After giving youngsters like Drake Batherson, Filip Chlapik, and Vitaly Abramov a chance already, the team has recalled a pair of veterans from AHL Belleville. The team announced that Nick Paul and Jordan Szwarz have been promoted to Ottawa. While Paul is a familiar name to Sens fans, Szwarz is a new free agent addition. The long-time AHL veteran and former Providence Bruins captain has played in 47 NHL games in his career, split between Arizona and Boston. His reliable two-way energy game could be more of the boost that the coaching staff feels they need right now rather than the offensive focus of the team’s top young prospects. This recall would also seem to indicate that there is a chance that Mikkel Boedker and Artem Anisimov are not ready to return to the lineup today as expected.
- After flipping Kyle Capobianco to the AHL for Ilya Lyubushkin on Saturday, the Coyotes are now flopping. CapFriendly reports that Capobianco has been called back up from the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners. The move comes on the heels of an injury to Niklas Hjalmarsson on Saturday that will likely push either Capobianco or Lyubushkin into a starting role for the time being.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a somewhat surprising switch. The team announced that 19-year-old rookie defenseman Rasmus Sandin has been sent down to the AHL’s Marlies, while free agent addition and veteran blue liner Kevin Gravel has been recalled in his place. Sandin, considered by many to be Toronto’s top D prospect, had skated in all six games for the team thus far and recorded a pair of assists, strong possession numbers, and an even plus/minus rating. Although, Sandin’s ice time has been limited and his special teams role has been non-existent, so this could be about putting him in a better position to develop in the AHL. However, this may be more about adding Gravel than subtracting Sandin. The Leafs have surrendered at least three goals in four of their six games so far, including a 7-3 drubbing by the Tampa Bay Lightning. They may simply be looking to tighten things up on the back end and stay-at-home specialist Gravel can help. Gravel has recorded 137 blocked shots and 124 hits in 106 NHL games with the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers.
- Steven Oleksy worked his way up from the ECHL ranks early in his career and has been on an NHL contract every year since 2012. However, that streak was snapped this summer when the 33-year-old seemingly could not attract another two-way deal. His bad luck now continues, as the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced that they have released Oleksy from his tryout agreement. The veteran of 73 NHL games and more than 400 AHL games saw his production fall off somewhat last year in a season split between the San Diego Gulls and Toronto Marlies, but is simply looking for the opportunity to show he can still contribute. In all likelihood, Oleksy will land on his feet elsewhere in pro hockey sooner rather than later.
- The Vancouver Canucks have granted starter Jacob Markstrom a leave of absence to attend to a family matter. He is expected to re-join the team later this week. In the meantime, Vancouver announced that Zane McIntyre has been recalled to serve as the backup to Thatcher Demko. McIntyre, a free agent addition, has made eight NHL appearances in his career with the Boston Bruins, all back in 2016-17. Ironically, his lone call-up last season was to serve as backup to Jaroslav Halak while Tuukka Rask took a leave of absence himself. McIntyre was a star at the college level and has strong AHL numbers, but at 27 years old he no longer a prospect that the Canucks would be trying to force into play time. Expect them to lean on Demko until Markstrom returns.
Pending Decisions On Players Eligible For Contract Slides
While it’s less than two weeks into the season, several teams will soon be faced with an important decision when it comes to some of their top young talents. Once a junior-aged player plays in his tenth game of the season, it officially burns the first year of their entry-level contract. Some teams have shown a willingness to do so in recent years while others have been more hesitant. Here are the players that teams will need to need to make a decision in the near future.
Games played totals are as of Saturday, October 12. The list of players has been restricted to players that have played in at least one NHL game this season or are currently up with their team.
Tobias Bjornfot (Kings) – 3 GP – He has played in all but one game so far but it’s fair to say that Bjornfot has struggled at times. Los Angeles isn’t the deepest team defensively but from a longer-term perspective, it’s reasonable to think that Rob Blake would like to keep an extra cheap year on the books for when they’re likely to be more of a postseason contender so while Bjornfot is up for now, that may change before much longer.
Noah Dobson (Islanders) – 2 GP – Unlike a lot of players on this list, it’s the NHL or the CHL for Dobson and he was pretty dominant at the junior level a year ago. That makes it a bit more understandable that New York is keeping him around even if he isn’t a full-time member of their top-six yet. Dobson is probably going to be in a similar spot over the next month or so where he’ll get a few games but will spend a lot of time as a scratch as well. If they do decide to send him back to the QMJHL, they’ll be limiting how long he actually spends there.
Martin Fehervary (Capitals) – 3 GP – Feharvary making the opening roster one year after being a mid-second-round pick came as a surprise but he held his own. However, with Washington having some cap concerns, they’ve already sent him down. They did so early enough that he could come up for a couple of weeks without triggering the first year of his deal but instead, it will be how he performs in the AHL that determines whether or not his contract will begin this season or next.
David Gustafsson (Jets) – 0 GP – This isn’t an injury situation; the Jets have simply made the 2018 second-round pick a healthy scratch in every game so far. He’s still under contract in the SHL (though his contract isn’t known to contain a European Assignment Clause) so this could simply be a case of them trying to decide what path is the best for his development. It’s hard to imagine him going past nine games at this stage.
Barrett Hayton (Coyotes) – 2 GP – For the second straight year, Hayton broke camp with the Coyotes but playing time has been sparse so far. Similar to Dobson, he’s in NHL or CHL territory and there isn’t much left for him to prove in junior hockey. This should be another case where he’ll be up for a while yet but his playing time will be limited until they decide whether or not to keep him for ten games or more.
Ville Heinola (Jets) – 5 GP – A month ago, Heinola wasn’t even on the radar for a roster spot coming into training camp despite the departures of several key defenders. Now, with Dustin Byfuglien gone as well, there’s even more ice time up for grabs and he has made the most of it, logging over 19 minutes a game. Unless Byfuglien changes his plans quickly, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll get past the nine-game mark (though he has been scratched for two straight games now) but the second threshold may be one to watch for here. (More on that shortly.)
Jack Hughes (Devils) – 5 GP – This one is pretty much a given. While he has looked a little overmatched at times, Hughes has still shown several promising flashes. Top picks will get a long look and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case here. Barring a big surprise, he’ll be up for the full season.
Kaapo Kakko (Rangers) – 3 GP – Playing time has been limited due to a strange scheduling oddity that has the Rangers playing just three times in the first two weeks of the season so that means it will take until a little later in the calendar for him to get to nine games. He hasn’t looked out of place through his three games and there’s little reason to think he won’t be up for the season.
Rasmus Sandin (Maple Leafs) – 6 GP – Sandin has played in every game so far, albeit in a rather limited role. Travis Dermott’s return isn’t too far away and once he’s activated, there may not be a spot for Sandin. Accordingly, Toronto could hold Sandin out for a couple of games in the next couple of weeks if they wanted to play it safe. If he does get into ten games, he’s another player who the second threshold will be a factor on.
For some teams, preserving that extra cheap year on an entry-level deal is crucial but others have been more inclined to go past that threshold and focus on the second one instead. That one is 40 games on the roster and that one includes games as a scratch; it’s not games played-focused. Once a player meets that threshold, they accrue one year of eligibility towards unrestricted free agency. In other words, they burn a year of team control at that time.
Getting to that threshold would allow for more evaluation for the prospects and in the cases of Dobson and Hayton, it would limit how much time they’d ultimately be forced to spend in junior at a level they’re already above if they were indeed sent back. Anyone who goes past the ten games played mark but doesn’t reach 40 on the active roster won’t have enough service time to be eligible for an offer sheet at the expiration of their contract either which also has to be taken into consideration.
For players like Hughes and Kakko, it’s a safe bet that the decision is all but made already; they’ll be sticking around for the entire season. Others like Gustafsson appear to be likely to not get to ten games played. But there are a handful of prospects that teams are going to make a call on before too much longer, even if they do scratch them for some games to delay having to make that decision. With things largely quiet on the trade front in the early going, this will be one of the elements to watch for over the next few weeks.
Pacific Notes: Hjalmarsson, Subban, Middleton
The Arizona Coyotes could be without one of their defensemen for a while as The Athletic’s Craig Morgan noted last night that Niklas Hjalmarsson left Pepsi Center last night on crutches. The 32-year-old blocked a shot last night from Erik Johnson against Colorado Saturday and was forced to leave the game. He only played 4:32.
Morgan reported that Hjalmarsson did not join the team on their flight to Winnipeg last night and while there is no word on the severity of the injury, he is expected to miss some time.
“At this point I’m not sure, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be day to day,” said head coach Rick Tocchet after the game Saturday. “That’s a big loss for us. Nik is a good defenseman.”
The team is expected to recall a defenseman to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman while Hjalmarsson is out. The scribe followed that report up that Kyle Capobianco, who was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners Saturday, will be returning to the team.
- Sinbin’s Steve Carp suggests that the Vegas Golden Knights could be in trouble in goal in the near future with the constant injury problems that backup Malcolm Subban has dealt with over his career in Vegas. Subban left after the first period Thursday against Arizona with a lower-body injury. The team brought Oscar Dansk up as an emergency recall, but the problem is 34-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury has received no rest so far this year, which could continue with the team likely hesitant to give Dansk a start. The team also has Garret Sparks in the AHL, who they can recall, but have not done so yet. However, with Subban unable to remain healthy, the team may have some issues to come down the road if they can’t get a solid goaltender to take a significant amount of playing time from an overworked Fleury.
- San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer gave an update for defenseman Jacob Middleton, who has been out with an undisclosed injury, and is just one of a number of defensive injuries that has depleted the Sharks’ depth there so far this year. The blueliner is expected to miss between four to six weeks, according to Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka. The scribe writes that the team is more likely to get back veteran Dalton Prout sooner as he has already started skating again.
Pacific Notes: Marleau, Sorenson, Eakin, Crouse
The San Jose Sharks lost a key piece of their core this offseason when veteran Joe Pavelski signed with the Dallas Stars. The Sharks were looking to bring in some of their young prospects to fill the gaps on their team. However, it didn’t take long for San Jose to realize that those pieces might not be ready yet.
The team rectified that issue when it went out and inked former Sharks’ veteran Patrick Marleau to a one-year deal. The veteran immediately made quite an impact, scoring two goals in his return to the franchise. However, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski writes that head coach Peter DeBoer felt that was a major need.
“One hundred percent. You’re not replacing Pav. But he’s definitely of that ilk,” said DeBoer, who said he had several conversations with general manager Doug Wilson after he was bought out by the Carolina Hurricanes this summer. “There was a commitment here to give the young guys an opportunity. The reality is sometimes it takes a bit longer.”
- Sticking with the Sharks, Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News reports that forward Marcus Sorensen, who has been out for the past two games with an undisclosed injury after taking a collision into the boards, could be ready to return to the lineup on Sunday against the Flames. Sorensen scored 17 goals last season and could help the struggling Sharks get back into the win column. The scribe also reported that defenseman Tim Heed is also close to returning, but likely won’t be available Sunday.
- Vegas Golden Knights have activated center Cody Eakin as the team expects to insert the veteran into their lineup tonight, according to Las Vegas Review Journal’s David Schoen. The team is expected to have him step onto the third line with youngster Cody Glass moving to the wing. Eakin had a career-year last year, scoring 22 goals and 41 points last year. The 28-year-old has been out with an undisclosed injury that he sustained during the preseason.
- NHL.com’s Alex Kinkopf writes that Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old forward is expected to play today against Colorado. Crouse finished last season with 11 goals, 25 points and 288 hits.
Antti Raanta Expected To Make Season Debut On Saturday
The Coyotes will have goaltender Antti Raanta back on Saturday as he’s slated to make his first start in more than ten months, notes Craig Morgan of The Athletic (via Twitter). Raanta suffered a lower-body injury in his first preseason game and missed enough time that the team felt that a conditioning stint to start the season would be beneficial. Now that he’s healthy, Arizona will be carrying three goalies with the recently-extended Darcy Kuemper as well as recent waiver claim Eric Comrie on the roster. Keeping three goalies is rarely a viable strategy long-term so it will be interesting to see how long they opt to hold onto Comrie as an insurance policy given Raanta’s lengthy injury history.
Other injury news from around the league:
- J.T. Compher’s time out of the Avalanche lineup appears to be short-lived. Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the center is expected to return on Saturday after missing last night’s game due to a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old has a goal in two games so far this season. Colorado didn’t place him on IR so they won’t need to make a corresponding roster move for him to suit up.
- Although Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban was forced to leave Thursday’s game against Arizona after just one period due to a lower-body injury, head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the netminder won’t miss much time. He’s officially listed as day-to-day. Gallant indicated that Vegas will recall a goalie from AHL Chicago so it appears that Subban will miss at least a game or two.
- Ducks defenseman Brendan Guhle is dealing with a lower-body injury, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). He has been listed as day-to-day. Guhle is averaging a career-best 19:07 per game in the early going this season, good for fourth on the team amongst defensemen which is notable considering he spent most of last season at the AHL level.
Minor Transactions: 10/11/19
Patrick Marleau and Brayden Point sure didn’t seem like they had any rust on them when they returned for San Jose and Tampa Bay last night, both scoring a pair of goals and leading their teams to victory. Thursday was filled with high-scoring matchups and tonight’s action could be the same as six teams battle in three games. The Carolina Hurricanes will welcome in the New York Islanders and try to stay perfect, while the Buffalo Sabres aim to prove their explosive start isn’t a mirage. As teams prepare for tonight and a big weekend around the NHL, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Winnipeg Jets have returned Sami Niku to the minor leagues, now that both Dmitry Kulikov and Josh Morrissey are back playing. Even with a ravaged defense corps, the Jets have won two games in a row and now sit just a single point behind the St. Louis Blues for first place in the Central Division. Niku, 23, will have to wait patiently for his next opportunity, which will likely come whenever the team faces another injury.
- Gustav Bouramman has landed on his feet in Sweden after accepting a contract termination earlier this month. The 22-year old defenseman has signed a six-week contract with Farjestad BK of the SHL to cover an injury absence, but will have a chance to earn an extension if he plays well enough. In 23 games with the Iowa Wild last season, Bouramman recorded just two points.
- With Corey Perry approaching a return, Denis Gurianov has been assigned to the Texas Stars after playing in three games with Dallas to start the year. Gurianov didn’t score, but did get some more valuable development time with the NHL as he looks to take the next step in his career. Selected 12th overall in 2015, Gurianov has played 25 games in the NHL so far.A
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Joseph Blandisi under emergency conditions, returning Andrew Agozzino at the same time. Agozzino played just five shifts (1:44 TOI) in yesterday’s win over the Anaheim Ducks. Blandisi meanwhile played six games with the Penguins last year and has 80 under his belt at the NHL level.
- The Arizona Coyotes have flipped depth defensemen, recalling Ilya Lyubushkin from Tucson (AHL) and sending Kyle Capobianco to the Roadrunners. Lyubushkin played in 41 games with the Coyotes last season but was left in the minors to start this season to get some playing time while Capobianco sat as a healthy scratch with the Coyotes. Now it appears that those roles will be reversed.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned Nicolas Roy to Chicago of the AHL, reports SinBin.Vegas. He was called up more than a week ago but didn’t get into any action. Roy was the key part of the trade return for Erik Haula over the offseason following a strong showing with Carolina’s farm team in the playoffs. He’ll likely see a big role with the Wolves and should be in line for another recall at some point later on in the season.