Troy Stecher Activated Off IR; Philip Holm Sent To Utica
- The Vancouver Canucks announced they have reassigned defenseman Philip Holm to the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 25-year-old defenseman was recalled on Monday, but did not see any action. Holm has two goals and eight assists in 15 games for Utica. He was sent down after the team activated defenseman Troy Stecher off injured reserve.
Pacific Notes: Goldobin, Gaudreau, Pirri, Garrison
The Vancouver Canucks haven’t had a whole lot of luck with some of their most recent overseas players as in the past six months as the team has lost Anton Rodin and Nikita Tryamkin, who each have decided to leave the NHL. However, that doesn’t look to be the case with Nikolay Goldobin, the former San Jose Sharks 2014 first-rounder, who currently sits in the AHL with the Utica Comets.
In fact, News 1130’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that he talked to Goldobin’s agent, Igor Larianov, who states that they are preaching patience and that Goldobin won’t bolt like Rodin and Tryamkin.
The 22-year-old winger has taken his game to a new level after several years of struggles that had him traded to Vancouver back in March. He has put up six goals and 11 assists in 16 games this year, but still hasn’t been recalled by Vancouver, who have instead chosen to bring up older players with more experience to fill in for injuries. Regardless, Larionov states he believes that Goldobin will be just fine.
- Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun writes that count veterean Jaromir Jagr as a player who sees a bright future for Calgary Flames center Johnny Gaudreau. The 45-year-old veteran has been talking to him, trying to provide the 24-year-old star winger with the confidence he needs. Jagr, like many people, sees Gaudreau as a perennial contender for the Art Ross Trophy and has told him so. “It’s pretty special when someone says something like that to you. Because it’s not every day that someone as good as him says something about a player that has only been in the league four years,” said Gaudreau. He showed some of that potential in the 2015-16 season when he put up 30 goals and 48 assists in just his second full season. He then saw his numbers drop to just 18 goals and 61 points last year. He already has 10 goal so far this year.
- Emily Polglaze of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that the Vegas Golden Knights have two quality and potential call-ups, if needed, in winger Brandon Pirri and defenseman Jason Garrison, who are thriving with the AHL Chicago Wolves. Pirri, who has been in the AHL since the 2013-14 season, has taken off since returning from a month-long injury on Nov. 8. He has six points in his last seven games and five goals and five assists in 10 games this year. Garrison, who was put on waivers on Oct. 28 has fared well in the AHL also in his comeback bid. He had not made an appearance in the AHL since the 2009-10 season. He has a goal and two assists in eight games.
Anton Rodin, Drew Miller Sign Overseas
On the same day he cleared waivers and had his contract terminated by the Vancouver Canucks, Anton Rodin has returned to Europe. However, the Swedish forward is not going back to Brynas of the Swedish Hockey League, where he spent most of his prime years, including an MVP season in 2015-16. Instead, the 27-year-old winger has signed with HC Davos of the NLA, the Swiss club announced. Davos reports that Rodin has signed a two-year deal that will keep him in Switzerland through the end of the 2018-19 season.
The hope for Davos is obviously that Rodin will perform more like he did in his previous European career than he has in the disastrous past season plus for the Vancouver Canucks. Injury and ineffectiveness left Rodin with only four points in 13 total games, NHL and AHL, over the last two seasons. Davos, which sits in fifth place in the NLA, needs a much better effort than that from their newest acquisition.
Meanwhile, while struggling Swedish squad Brynas may be disappointed that their former superstar Rodin chose not to return home, they made the most of the situation by going out and getting a big name of their own. The team announced that they have signed NHL veteran Drew Miller. The long-time Detroit Red Wings forward was unable to turn a tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks this fall into a contract and has been without a job since. He now makes his first foray overseas, joining a Brynas squad that has fallen on hard times. However, with an intelligent, hard-working forward like Miller now in the fold and playing alongside a player of similar ilk in Daniel Paille, it’s not too late for Brynas to learn to play a smart, two-way game and climb back up the standings.
Snapshots: OHL, Sedlak, Gudbranson, Gaborik
The Ontario Hockey League has always been one of the premiere talent factories for the NHL, churning out elite prospects every season. Like every year, the talented folks over at OHL Prospects have put together a consensus ranking of the 2018 draft eligible players, with contributions from various scouting gurus like Mike Morreale (NHL.com), Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) and Dan Stewart (Future Considerations).
In this ranking of OHL prospects—like any other you’ll find—Andrei Svechnikov tops the list. He was first on all 22 contributing scouts’ lists, with several implying that he could jump right to the NHL already. Svechnikov had 14 points in 10 games for the Barrie Colts before injuring his hand, should return to the lineup at some point in mid-to-late December. He’s a near lock to go in the top three selections next June.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Lukas Sedlak from injured reserve, giving them some more depth at center. The Blue Jackets have used Nick Foligno in the middle for much of this season, but could move him back to the wing where he is much more experienced now that they have another healthy body. The team could still obviously use another center, but have several options with how to deploy their lineup.
- Jason Brough of TSN has heard that the Florida Panthers have at least some interest still in Erik Gudbranson, even though we had previously heard otherwise. Brough also reports that “a few other teams” have interest in the Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman which would mesh with the report that the Toronto Maple Leafs have poked around. Gudbranson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
- Marian Gaborik is nearing a return for the Los Angeles Kings, and head coach John Stevens spoke with Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider on the progression of the 35-year old sniper. The Kings continue to lead the Pacific Division, and it will be interesting to see if Gaborik can find a role on the team after several years of sub-par performance.
Penguins Demote Frank Corrado
Frank Corrado‘s stay in Pittsburgh is over and the hunt for a another top-six defenseman continues for the defending Stanley Cup champs. The team announced that they have reassigned the young blue liner to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and appear to be happy to move forward with Matt Hunwick or Chad Ruhwedel as their final starter.
Corrado, 24, was acquired by the Penguins from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline last season in exchange for a package of Eric Fehr, Steve Oleksy, and a fourth-round pick. The former Canuck was unhappy with his play time in Toronto, but things have hardly changed in Pittsburgh. Corrado played in only two games with the team last season, missed out on the entire playoff run, and is now back in the AHL after only three games this season. Corrado suited up for the Pens in their first three games of November, being held scoreless and averaging only eleven minutes of ice time, and had been sitting in the press box ever since.
With Hunwick recently activated from injured reserve, the Penguins have made the unsurprising choice to move forward without Corrado. Hunwick has played in only seven games this season, while Ruhwedel has been forced into 18 already. The pair have a combined three points and an even rating and could work as a serviceable sixth man duo for Pittsburgh this season. However, given the injury-prone nature of Kris Letang and Justin Schultz as well as the team’s shockingly low goals-for and goals-against rankings, “serviceable” may not be enough. GM Jim Rutherford may stick with the veteran options for now, but will surely be looking for an upgrade come the trade deadline. This season, the likes of Corrado won’t be the target.
Vancouver’s Rodin, Philadelphia’s Read Placed On Waivers
Two players have been placed on waivers today. The Vancouver Canucks announced they have placed Anton Rodin on waivers with the intention of terminating his contract. Elliotte Friedman also reports that Philadelphia Flyers veteran winger Matt Read has also been placed on waivers.
As for Rodin, his stint with Vancouver hasn’t been too successful as injuries and lack of opportunites have hampered him since he signed in Vancouver in the 2016 offseason. The 26-year-old winger asked to be released from his contract, according to Vancouver general manager Jim Benning. A former 2009 second-round pick of the Canucks, he has not played in an NHL game this year and managed to appear in just three last year. He had a goal and an assist in seven games for the Utica Comets.
Read was already placed on waivers before the season started on Oct. 2 and cleared. He played five games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, scoring one goal, but was recalled on Oct. 19 and has played four games with the Flyers, averaging just 10:54 of ice time on the year. Friedman tweets that the Flyers put Read on waivers to make room for a defenseman after the suspension to Radko Gudas.
Minor Transactions: 11/20/17
With just six games on a Monday and a couple of suspensions last night, many teams may look to make minor changes to their roster for the coming week. Keep up with those moves right here:
- The Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled defenseman Philip Holm from the Utica Comets and reassigned Patrick Wiercioch in a corresponding move. Holm will be recalled for first time as the undrafted free agent signed a one-year deal with Vancouver this summer. At 25 years of age and coming over from Sweden, he needed time to adjust to the North American hockey, but appears to be ready. He has played 15 games for Utica, leading all Comet defensemen in scoring as he has put up two goals and eight assists on the year. Wiercioch, who had been shuttled up and down for most of the season has been up with the team since Oct. 23, but has been serving as an emergency defenseman and hasn’t seen any action yet this year. He has only played two games for the Comets this season.
- The Nashville Predators announced they have recalled forward Pontus Aberg and goaltender Juuse Saros as well as Frederick Gaudreau from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. The team also reassigned Anders Lindback to Milwaukee. Aberg had been serving in Milwaukee on a conditioning stint since Nov. 11. The 24-year-old had cracked the team’s lineup last year after putting up a 30-goal season in Milwaukee. He then proceeded to play in 16 playoff games for Nashville, but had trouble finding playing time this year as he had only played in nine games to start the year and was often a healthy scratch. In four games for the Admirals, he had four goals and two assists. Saros, the team’s backup behind starter Pekka Rinne, has struggled in his time with the Predators. In four games, he has posted a 3.94 GAA and a .855 save percentage. He was sent down to start for Milwaukee to get in some playing time. Although he took the loss in Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Monsters, he only allowed two goals in the game, stopping 20 shots. Lindback returns to Milwaukee after serving as an emergency backup for the team on Saturday.
- Arizona Sports reported that the Arizona Coyotes have assigned defenseman Dakota Mermis to the AHL Tucson Roadrunners. The 23-year-old blueliner has played seven games for Arizona with the team’s rash of defensive injuries from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jakob Chychrun. Hjalmarsson is expected to return to the lineup tonight.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled goaltender Mike McKenna from the AHL Texas Stars Monday as backup Kari Lehtonen is unavailable due to personal reasons, according to the team. The 34-year-old McKenna has been a journeyman in the AHL and last got into an NHL game with the Arizona Coyotes back in the 2014-15 season and has played in 22 NHL games in his career. In 12 games with Texas, he has a 3.51 GAA. The Stars also announced they have recalled defenseman Julius Honka from Texas. The 2014 first-round pick has been unable to carve out a full-time role with Dallas as he struggled to earn playing time at the start of the year. He was sent down on Oct. 31 after playing six games, putting up no points. He played eight games with the Texas Stars, but also failed to produce a point.
Western Notes: Little, Tanev, Stecher, Sundqvist
Winnipeg Jets’ forward Bryan Little has seen a lot over the 11 years he’s been with the Jets franchise. However, one thing he hasn’t seen is his team dominating out of the gate in a season. After Saturday’s 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils, Little finds his team boasting a 12-4-3 record good enough for second place in the Western Conference.
That may not be entirely true. Little was with the Atlanta Thrashers (before they moved to Winnipeg) and witnessed a 12-3-3 start, but that was the year before he joined the franchise, writes Winnipeg Sun’s Paul Friesen. Little, however, is thrilled to see Winnipeg finally work their way into a position where they are not chasing a playoff spot.
“It takes a bit of the pressure off,” Little said. “You’re able to play more relaxed and more confident. When you’re fighting to get back early in the season, it’s mentally stressful. You know you’ve got to win games, and that puts a lot of pressure on everyone.”
- Steve Ewan of The Province writes that Vancouver Canucks defensemen Chris Tanev and Troy Stecher are closing in on returning to the lineup. Tanev, who is recovering from a thumb injury and has missed four games, and Stecher, who is recovering from a knee injury and has only appeared in eight games this season, are both expected to travel with the team on their upcoming roadtrip which opens in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Both skated with the team today, but skated late suggesting they are not expected to play tonight against the St. Louis Blues.
- The St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Jim Thomas writes that center Oskar Sundqvist, who left Thursday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers after taking a puck to the foot, was a full participant in practice today and is expected to play in tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Maple Leafs Have Interest In Erik Gudbranson
Although Canucks GM Jim Benning stated last week that they still have plans on talking to defenseman Erik Gudbranson about a contract extension, TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reported on a radio appearance with Sportsnet 590 (audio link) that there is some trade interest around the league surrounding the blueliner. In particular, Lavoie pegs the Maple Leafs as a team with interest in him as well as several other stay-at-home defenders around the league, though those others aren’t at Gudbranson’s level.
The 25-year-old has played in 18 games so far with Vancouver this season and has yet to record a point. However, he sits second on the team in both hits and blocked shots and would give Toronto another defense-first option on their back end. Lavoie added that Toronto is ideally looking to add a defender before December’s holiday break (from December 24th to the 26th).
The Leafs aren’t alone in their pursuit of a stay-at-home rearguard as Lavoie adds that the Canadiens are also looking to add one and could be interested in Gudbranson while he suggests that Ottawa may be looking to add a blueliner as well. Considering Senators GM Pierre Dorion has stated several times that he likes his current defensive depth, it’s likely that a move on that end for them would be closer to the trade deadline with an eye on hedging against some injuries for the postseason.
One team that doesn’t appear to have interest in Gudbranson is his former team in Florida. Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province reports that the Panthers (who at one point were rumored to have a trade in place for him over the summer involving Jason Demers) are no longer interested in pursuing his services.
Gudbranson is in the final year of his contract with a salary and cap hit of $3.5MM and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July. If the team can’t come to terms on an extension with him, there’s a good chance that the defenseman will become one of the more sought-after rental players in the weeks and months to come.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Canucks Notes: Gudbranson, Benning, Dorsett
Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson has seen his name come up in trade speculation over the last little while, including a reported trade that would have seen him return to Florida in exchange for Jason Demers over the summer (that fell through when Demers exercised his no-trade clause). He’s in the final year of his contract and as Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province notes, Gudbranson is in line to get a raise from the $3.5MM he’s making this season as well as a long-term deal since he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in July. GM Jim Benning noted that there haven’t been talks on an extension yet but that there could be later on in the year:
“There’s a mutual thing with his agent. Let’s just see where this goes. From their perspective, they want to feel comfortable in a new city and find his niche. We agreed to let it play out and when the time is right, we’ll talk about it.”
So far this season, the 25-year-old has yet to record a point in 16 games but sits second on the Canucks in blocked shots (22) and hits (33) while averaging a little more than 17 minutes of ice time per game.
More from Vancouver:
- Gudbranson isn’t the only one in need of a new contract for next year as Benning’s contract is up at the end of the season. In a recent radio appearance with Sportsnet 650, team owner Francesco Aquilini stated that extension talks are ongoing and that “I am pleased with how Jim has performed. I’m optimistic we’re going to come to an agreement with him.” Benning is in his fourth season at the helm of the Canucks and while the team made the playoffs in his first year, they struggled considerably over the last two seasons.
- The team has launched an appeal to rescind the instigator penalty given to winger Derek Dorsett on Thursday against Anaheim, Kuzma relays via Twitter. This penalty was his second of the season and once he gets his third, he would automatically receive a two-game suspension under Rule 46.21.