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Coyotes Recall Milos Kelemen

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Michael Russo of The Athletic tweeted this morning that Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was absent from practice and was replaced in the line rushes by Nic Petan. The Wild are calling it a maintenance day for the 26-year-old as he is banged up at the moment. Kaprizov had an assist in the Wild’s 8-3 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Saturday night but played just 16:49, which is a dramatic decrease from the 21:21 in ice time he has been averaging this season.

Kaprizov does have five goals and 10 assists in 15 games this season, but his play has seemed off despite the offensive success. He is -11, and while that number can be misleading, his turnover numbers are not. Kaprizov has turned the puck over in almost every game this season, far outpacing his previous career numbers. He also appears to be struggling when he is deployed against other team’s top star players.

In other afternoon notes:

  • The Arizona Coyotes have announced today that they’ve placed forward Jack McBain on injured reserve and in a corresponding move they’ve recalled forward Milos Kelemen from their AHL affiliate the Tucson Roadrunners. The 24-year-old is looking to get into the Coyotes lineup for the first time this season after dressing in 14 games last year. The native of Svolen, Slovakia registered a single goal in the NHL last season but was much more productive in his first AHL season posting 14 goals and 16 assists in 59 games with the Roadrunners. This year, Kelemen is posting offense at about the same pace with two goals and four assists through his first 11 games. Kelemen struggled under poor possession numbers and defensive zone starts in his first run with the Coyotes and will be looking to show he belongs in the NHL if he gets back into the Coyotes lineup.
  • TSN’s Mark Masters is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins practiced this morning in a normal jersey for the first time since September. The 25-year-old has yet to dress for the Maple Leafs this season after being sidelined with a lower-body injury during what was an impressive preseason as he collected six points in three preseason games and made a case for himself to be in Toronto’s top six. Last season the St. Catherines, Ontario native posted two goals and 12 assists in 27 NHL games.

Coyotes’ Jack McBain Out Week-To-Week

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Update November 13th, 10:57am: McBain has been placed on Injured Reserve today as per CapFriendly.

November 11th: Arizona Coyotes forward Jack McBain is now listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team said Saturday evening.

McBain sustained the injury late in Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, likely suffering something related to his left leg after crashing into the boards. The 23-year-old is off to a solid start with four goals and three assists in 13 games this season, including a two-goal, four-point showing against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 30.

A third-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2018, the Coyotes acquired McBain’s signing rights in a March 2022 trade after he posted 33 points in 24 games during his senior season at Boston College and representing Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He played in all 82 games during his rookie season last year, finishing 12th on the team in scoring with 26 points while averaging nearly 14 minutes per game.

After hitting restricted free agency last summer and filing for salary arbitration, the Coyotes and McBain settled on a two-year, $3.2MM contract just before his scheduled hearing. He will again be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when the deal expires in 2025.

McBain has seen his ice time decreased somewhat this season to around the 12-minute mark, given the team’s increased forward depth. However, he’s still been a solid contributor in the team’s bottom six, and he’s out-produced many of the Coyotes’ third- and fourth-line regulars, including summer UFA signings Alexander Kerfoot and Jason Zucker.

The Coyotes have not moved McBain to IR or LTIR, but they’ll need to make a corresponding transaction if they wish to recall a forward from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners to replace him, as their 23-player roster is full.

Travis Dermott Out Week To Week

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The New York Islanders have announced that defenseman Adam Pelech will be out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old was on the ice for the team’s optional morning skate but was a late scratch for this evening’s game against the Boston Bruins. He has been in and out of the lineup this week having previously missed the Islanders 4-3 OT loss against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Pelech did return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild but took a maintenance day yesterday before the morning skate today.

Pelech has just a single assist in ten games thus far this season but has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game when available. The Islanders seventh defenseman Samuel Bolduc has filled in for Pelech during his absences including tonight as he is slotted beside Scott Mayfield. While Bolduc has played hard, he has struggled to fill the void left by Pelech and has no points in eight games.

In other injury notes:

  • The Arizona Coyotes have announced that defenseman Travis Dermott will be out of the lineup week-to-week with an apparent upper-body injury. The Coyotes called up Michael Kesselring yesterday to work in Dermott’s absence, although it is likely that recent healthy scratch Josh Brown will slot into Dermott’s place and Kesselring will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. Very little is known about Dermott’s ailment or when he suffered the injury but for now it appears at least for the time being that Dermott’s absence will be an extended one. Dermott has a single assist in ten games so far this season and is currently a -4.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that defenseman Jarred Tinordi left tonight’s game and will not be returning. The 31-year-old left without any obvious reason or clear injury and no specifics have been given yet. Tinordi drew back into the lineup tonight for the first time since last Saturday and was tasked with replacing Nikita Zaitsev. Tinordi has dressed in eight games on the season and has a single assist while playing roughly 16 minutes a night.
  • The Blackhawks also announced that forward Andreas Athanasiou will not be returning to tonight’s game after suffering an apparent injury. Athanasiou left the game near the end of the second period although little is known as to the reason why. The 29-year-old was a healthy scratch recently and has struggled so far this season with no goals and four assists in ten games. Last year he posted 20 goals and 20 assists in 81 games and seemed to have more jump in his game.

Travis Dermott To Miss Time With Undisclosed Injury

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The Minnesota Wild will remain without captain Jared Spurgeon in the lineup for at least the next two games, GM Bill Guerin told the media today (via Joe Smith of The Athletic). At the earliest, Spurgeon could make his season debut on Sunday against the Dallas Stars, which Guerin dubbed a “possibility.”

Spurgeon has been sidelined for all 12 games this season due to an upper-body injury sustained during training camp, a figure that will stretch to at least 14 before he joins the team for game action. His absence has been a back-breaker for a team that’s played uncharacteristically poor defensively so far, allowing 49 goals through 12 games – the most in the Central Division and second-most in the Western Conference, behind only the lowly San Jose Sharks. On the bright side, Spurgeon’s absence has meant an opportunity for 21-year-old rookie Brock Faber, who’s assumed top-pairing duties without a second thought and has registered five points and a +7 rating in nearly 24 minutes per game of ice time.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference tonight:

  • The Arizona Coyotes are set to be without the services of defenseman Travis Dermott for an undisclosed amount of time, per Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. Dermott sustained an undisclosed injury in Tuesday’s shootout win over the Seattle Kraken, spurring the recall of Michael Kesselring from AHL Tucson earlier today. Dermott, 26, is in his first season as a Coyote and already missed a pair of contests earlier this year due to illness. He’s notched one assist through ten games and posted positive defensive metrics relative to his partner, Matt Dumba, who’s profiled analytically as the Coyotes’ worst defender so far this season.
  • San Jose Sharks defenseman Jacob MacDonald was placed on injured reserve earlier today in a corresponding transaction to the acquisition of Calen Addison from the Minnesota Wild, and head coach David Quinn confirmed today that he’ll miss the minimum one week required to be on IR but not necessarily much more. Injuries have limited MacDonald to just two appearances this season, but he did log a two-point effort in the team’s 10-2 blowout at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins recently. In fact, MacDonald has only suited up in the Sharks’ back-to-back 10-goal concessions, recording a -5 rating and averaging just north of 12 minutes per game.

Coyotes Recall Michael Kesselring

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Patrick Johnston of The Vancouver Province is reporting that Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger is getting close to making his Canucks debut. The 29-year-old has yet to dress this season after he was injured in a preseason game in early October while blocking a shot. Neither Blueger nor the Canucks have specified what the issue is with Blueger, but Johnston believes the injury is a bone bruise.

Blueger practiced with the Canucks today for their full practice, it was the first time he has done so since he suffered the injury on October 6th. The native of Riga, Latvia skated with a group of fourth liners in Sam Lafferty, Nils Höglander, and Anthony Beauvillier. The Canucks could certainly use Blueger’s penalty-killing prowess as they have been as bad shorthanded this year as they were last year with a success rate of just 77.3%.

The Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night in Ottawa, and if Blueger can’t make his return then, it could happen before the end of their road trip.

In other West notes:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned forward Dominic Toninato back to their AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose. The 29-year-old was called up by the Jets on October 20th but did not dress in an NHL game and will now head back to the AHL where he has a goal and an assist in two AHL games this season. The Duluth, Minnesota native is just two years removed from dressing in 77 games for the Jets in a single season and will likely receive another call-up later in the season should the Jets run into injury issues.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from their AHL affiliate the Tucson Roadrunners as they get set to head out on a five-game road trip. Kesselring has yet to dress in an NHL game this season but has spent some time with the Coyotes. The club made the move today to add emergency depth in case they need it while they are away from home. Kesselring has dressed in six AHL games with the Roadrunners this season and has been held scoreless. Last season, the 23-year-old played nine games with Arizona, posting three assists.

Zucker Expected Back On November 11th

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At the beginning of the season, captain of the Minnesota Wild, Jared Spurgeon, was designated as ’week-to-week’ after suffering an upper-body injury in a preseason matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 5th. On October 25th, the team officially placed Spurgeon on the long-term injured reserve retroactive to the start of the regular season (October 12th), meaning Spurgeon would be out for 24 days and the team’s first 10 games.

Now that Spurgeon has satisfied his LTIR requirements, he is eligible to return to the team’s active roster for tomorrow night’s game against the New York Rangers. Unfortunately, Joe Smith of The Athletic is reporting that Spurgeon is still out, and recent callup, Daemon Hunt, will play in his stead.

Although it is a prudent move for any team not to rush back a key part of their team, getting Spurgeon back is becoming more and more imperative each game for Minnesota. Over the course of his career, Spurgeon has maintained a CF% (Corsi For %) above 50%, as well as an oiSV% (Team On-Ice Sv%) above 90%. For a team that is mightily struggling to keep the puck out of their own net, Spurgeon is an incredibly important piece for the Wild to get back into their lineup.

Other snapshots:

  • In a controversial disallowed goal during the Anaheim Ducks’ recent game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the new head coach of the Ducks, Greg Cronin, became very animated on the bench expressing his displeasure with the call by the referee. After the play was reviewed, the call on the ice stood, causing Cronin to use extremely colorful language toward the referee, earning him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as well as an ejection. Today, the NHL announced they have fined Cronin a total of $25K for the incident.
  • Out of the team’s lineup since their October 21st game against Anaheim, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that forward for the Arizona Coyotes, Jason Zucker should be expected back in the lineup on November 11th as the team takes on the Nashville Predators. Playing on a one-year contract this year, Zucker has put up two goals in his first five games as a Coyote.
  • Earlier today, Sheng Peng of NBC Sports reported that goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen is questionable for the San Jose Sharks matchup tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In that case, the team would have to recall a goaltender from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. If Kahkonen is unable to dress, it will make it a professional debut for either of the two goaltenders recalled from the Barracuda.

Travis Dermott Unlikely To Be Available Monday With Illness

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Oilers forward Mattias Janmark did not dress in Sunday’s Heritage Classic win over the Flames, per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, and the 30-year-old is listed as out with a shoulder injury with no timeline for a return. Defenseman Vincent Desharnais drew into the lineup in his place, scoring his first NHL goal in the process as the Oilers dressed seven defensemen for the fourth time this season.

Janmark, now in his eighth NHL season, signed a one-year, $1MM extension to remain an Oiler in June. The depth scoring winger has been held off the scoresheet through seven games, however, averaging 13:05 and posting a -2 rating. He hasn’t been shooting the puck as often as we’re used to seeing – he’s averaging just one shot per game, but his teammates haven’t helped him out in the assist department, either. The Oilers are shooting just 2.9% with Janmark on the ice at even strength, and his possession numbers have actually been quite good to begin the season with a 56.5% Corsi share. The Oilers do not have cap space for a corresponding recall, so unless Janmark lands on LTIR as a result of his shoulder ailment, Edmonton will roll with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the time being.

More from around the NHL this morning.

  • Also absent from last night’s Heritage Classic was Flames forward Adam Ružička, who head coach Ryan Huska told reporters pre-game would not dress due to a shoulder injury (via Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun). The Slovak winger was off to a strong start this season, posting two goals and two assists for four points in seven games, but is now listed as day-to-day with the injury. The 6-foot-4, 24-year-old winger is in the second year of a $762.5K AAV deal and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.
  • Lastly, Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott is expected to miss his second straight game tonight against the Blackhawks with an illness, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports. Dermott, who’s been one of the Coyotes’ best shutdown defenders through the first month of the season, also missed Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Kings. While he’s been held off the scoresheet thus far, the 26-year-old Dermott is rebounding nicely after missing most of last season due to a concussion, posting a relative Corsi share of 1.6% at even strength despite seeing more than 70% of his zone starts in the defensive end. He’s inked to just an $800K cap hit for this season.

Coyotes Assign Ben McCartney And Jan Jenik To AHL

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Sunday: McCartney’s stint with the Coyotes was short-lived as he was assigned back to the minors today.

Saturday: The recent roster shuffling in Arizona has continued as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Ben McCartney from AHL Tucson.  He takes the place of forward Jan Jenik who has been returned to the Roadrunners.

This is McCartney’s first recall in nearly two years with his only previous NHL action being a pair of appearances early in the 2021-22 season.  The 22-year-old has played in five games in the minors so far this season and is still looking for his first point.  McCartney’s best showing down there came a couple of years ago when he posted 18 goals and 17 assists in 2021-22, his first professional campaign.

As for Jenik, he is no stranger to these back-and-forth transactions; it’s the fourth one he has been involved in since Monday.  The 23-year-old served as Arizona’s extra forward last night against Los Angeles and has yet to suit up for the Coyotes this season.  Jenik has three points in as many games in Tucson so far after clearing waivers at the beginning of the month.  Players can be on an NHL roster for 10 games or 30 days cumulative without needing to clear again.  This assignment stops the clock for the time being.

The Coyotes aren’t back in action until Monday so there should be a reprieve on the day-to-day transactions tomorrow before potentially resuming in advance of their game against Chicago.

Arizona Coyotes Recall Jan Jeník

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The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Jan Jeník from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Jeník was originally sent down on Wednesday but now he returns to the NHL roster in advance of tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan wrote on X that Jeník’s recall was likely made for the purpose of him serving as the club’s spare forward for tonight’s game.

Coyotes head coach André Tourigny told the media today that forward Lawson Crouse is sick and is unlikely to play in tonight’s game. So with Crouse likely to miss the contest, veteran Zach Sanford will most probably draw into the lineup in Crouse’s place.

Sanford’s move into the nightly lineup necessitates this Jeník recall so that the team can have an extra forward on its roster as a precaution. The cost of this to the larger Coyotes organization is that Jeník won’t be able to appear with the Roadrunners in their game today against the Bakersfield Condors.

Jeník, 23, has scored at an almost point-per-game rate in Tucson since 2021-22, so not having him in their lineup is a major loss for the Roadrunners.

But the NHL club and its chase of a Central Division playoff spot is of the utmost importance, and this recall gives Tourigny an extra option to work with as he looks to put together a winning formula for tonight’s game against the Kings.

Coyotes’ Jason Zucker Out Week-To-Week

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Wednesday: The Coyotes announced that Jeník was returned to Tucson while CapFriendly reports that Sanford has also been sent back down.

Monday: Coyotes winger Jason Zucker is expected to be out for at least a few games with a lower-body injury, as the team says he’s been listed as week-to-week. In a pair of corresponding transactions, the Coyotes recalled forwards Jan Jeník and Zach Sanford from AHL Tucson, while CapFriendly reports Zucker was moved to injured reserve to accommodate two recalls. Zucker sustained the injury in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Ducks.

With two goals in five games thus far as a Coyote, Zucker has been decent after inking a one-year, $5.3MM contract in free agency last summer. He’s averaging 2.8 shots on goal per game and is currently shooting at 14.3%, nearly two points higher than his career average. He’s been paired mostly with Logan Cooley and either Matias Maccelli or Alexander Kerfoot on the opposite wing so far, a line that’s driven a lot of scoring chances when Maccelli is the third member. However, Zucker’s usage has not been advantageous – just 36.4% of his zone starts at even strength have come in the offensive zone, far below his 52.4% career average.

Hopefully, for the Coyotes, this is not a sign of things to come for the remainder of Zucker’s tenure. The 32-year-old has become rather injury-prone, most recently missing half of the 2021-22 campaign with lower-body and core muscle injuries. He also missed a significant chunk of the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season with a lower-body injury. Dating back to 2020, Zucker has played in 157 of 220 possible games, or about 71%.

With Zucker now on IR, the 23-year-old Jeník could get the chance he’s been hoping for. Arizona’s 65th overall pick in 2018 has been on the rise since his draft year, posting a pair of strong offensive campaigns with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs before turning pro in 2020. He’s posted solid numbers with Tucson since, including a career-high 47 points in 51 contests in 2021-22. A contract dispute this summer stretched until mid-September when Jeník finally agreed to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL with a $125K salary guarantee. Jeník was reportedly seeking trade options over the summer in search of a clearer path to an NHL role. He’s off to a strong start in the minors, posting three points in three games.

The Coyotes are off to a decent 3-2-0 start, largely in part due to spectacular netminding from both Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka, who’ve posted a combined .943 SV% and 1.80 GAA. Secondary scoring outside of Cooley, Maccelli, Clayton Keller, and Nick Schmaltz has been a major issue, one that will be tough to fix with Zucker out of commission for the foreseeable future.

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