Commissioner Notes: Goalie Interference, International Games, Expansion
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media prior to tonight’s All-Star’s Skills Competition and it didn’t take long for questions to arise about the controversial goaltender interference calls that have created an uproar. As reported earlier, the all-star coaches and league executives met with the league today to discuss the issues with goaltender interference. Bettman was quick to point out that he believes that everyone is overthinking the rule and plans to send a memo to officials suggesting they ease off when looking at video, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.
“Overall, the system works,” Bettman said. “But I think we’ve gotten to the point where everyone is overlooking the review.”
The comments might suggest the league might be backing off on goaltender interference in the near future.
- Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweets that Bettman announced the 2019 NHL All-Star Game will be in San Jose on Jan. 26-27. It will be the first time its been there since 1997. St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann tweeted the St. Louis Blues are bidding to host the 2020 all-star game.
- Johnston also tweets that Bettman said that the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers will start the 2018-19 regular season in Sweden. The Winnipeg Jets and the Florida Panthers will play two regular season games against each other in Helsinki, Finland. The Devils tweeted they will also be playing in a preseason game in Switzerland.
- TSN’s Daren Dreger tweets that Bettman said that the plan is to send two teams to China in September and continues to be a “work in progress.” Johnston adds that it’s expected the Calgary Flames and the Boston Bruins will be the two teams.
- TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that Bettman was asked if the next expansion team (Seattle — if it happens, added Bettman) would get the same favorable expansion draft rules and player pool that the Vegas Golden Knights received. Bettman said, “Yes.” Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus tweets that Bettman added that any future expansion team would insist on the same expansion draft rules that Vegas took advantage of. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski tweets that Bettman said the ownership group working for a Seattle expansion bid is still working on their application. A timetable and ticket drive are up to them, but likely should be completed in one or two weeks, suggests LeBrun.
- LeBrun tweets that he talked to NHLPA’s Don Fehr, who said that a potential World Cup tournament could happen in September of 2020 or February of 2020. However, there still would have to be a lot of work to be done.
- LeBrun tweets that when asked whether adding a 32nd team through expansion would suggest the NHL should look into expanding the number of playoff teams, Bettman said ‘No.’ He likes it at 16 teams.
- Wyshysnki tweets that Bettman wasn’t positive about a possible expansion team coming from Quebec: “We’re not currently considering an application. At the current time, we’re not focused on a team in Quebec City. That doesn’t mean we’ll never be focused [on it].”
- Wyshysnki tweets that on the topic of the Arizona Coyotes, the commissioner added that ownership is working through possibilities to build a new arena and the strength of the club comes down to the owners’ willingness to continue that pursuit. “I wouldn’t focus on Arizona moving right now. Or anytime soon. Or ever,” said Bettman.
- Lazerus tweets that Bettman also wasn’t as positive about NHL players joining the Olympics in 2020. “I don’t have an answer to that question.” He said the clubs and owners find Olympic participation “disruptive.”
Western Notes: Sedins, Doughty, Golden Knights, Hyka
Recent comments from Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin suggest the twin brothers are hoping for another year in Vancouver. Already 37 and trending downwards in their career, the struggling Canucks were considered to be sellers at the trade deadline. However, the Sedin twins return also might throw a wrench into general manager Jim Benning‘s deadline plans.
While the team has several key trade chips to move, including veteran scorer Thomas Vanek and defenseman Erik Gudbranson, Benning might be more likely to retain or extend them to surround the Sedin twins with veteran players, according to J.D. Burke of The Athletic (subscription required). The scribe begins by pointing out that the Sedin’s decision will have major implications to the salary cap and the look of the team. The cost to retain both soon-to-be 38-year-old forwards will be about $10MM, estimates Burke, who adds the team would have to make a decision whether to keep Vanek with the team.
If the Sedin’s stay, will Benning look for assets that might benefit the veteran Sedins, rather than focus on the team’s need to rebuild. Benning has often preferred to acquire players, rather than trade for picks. The team has a lot of prospects coming through the system already, but not trading their assets at the deadline could hurt the future of the team down the road as well. No one is saying the Sedin twins shouldn’t come back. They have been with the franchise since they started their careers and should be welcomed, but not at the expense of the team’s future.
- Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty spoke to the media today at the all-star’s media day. According to Los Angeles’ Times writer Helene Elliott, Doughty said that money and term aren’t the only factor in the way he will approach free agency in 2018-19. “I don’t know if a lot of people think our future looks bright but I think our future does as the L.A. Kings organization,” Doughty said. “We’ve got some young guys that aren’t with us yet that will make a difference in a couple years. We still have that core group of guys. I think we’re trending in the right direction and getting back to hopefully where we were a few years back.”
- Yahoo Sports’ Ryan Lambert writes that while the praise that goes towards Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee is well earned, he believes that Vegas’ unbelievable success should fall on the shoulder of all the other teams’ general managers. The scribe writes that if other general managers had done a better job managing their own rosters, the Golden Knights wouldn’t have been able to get better quality players and picks in order to pad their roster in the initial first year. The expansion draft should net expansion team with back-end forwards and defensemen and No. 2 goalies. However, Florida Panther general manager Dave Talon just handed two top-six forwards to Vegas to get rid of the contract of Reilly Smith, while they opted to move on from Jonathan Marchessault because they didn’t believe he could repeat his 30-goal season from last year. The same can be said for the Minnesota Wild, who gave Vegas forward Alex Tuch and Erik Haula in exchange for draft considerations. There were so many draft considerations from plenty of other teams such as the New York Islanders, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning. Had general managers made better decisions, perhaps the Golden Knights wouldn’t be the top team in the West. Lambert also adds that the team still has 10 draft picks that will fall in the first two rounds over the next three years. Doesn’t look like Vegas is going anywhere.
- Still with the Golden Knights, SinBinVegas tweets that prospect Tomas Hyka, who was scheduled to play in the AHL All-Star game on Jan. 29, has been replaced with T.J. Tynan as Hyka is now listed as “unavailable for the game.” Vegas plays its first game after the all-star break on Jan. 30, suggesting Hyka might get called up instead. The 24-year-old wing, who signed out of the Czech. Republic, has 12 goals and 31 points in 32 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
All-Star Skills Competition Assignments Released
With the All-Star game one day away, many NHL fans often get more excited for the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which will be tonight. The NHL released the list of who will be participating in each of the six competitions with the winner of each receiving $25K.
Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater – Each skater is timed for one full lap around the rink.
Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Rickard Rakell (Anaheim Ducks)
Noah Hanifin (Carolina Hurricanes)
Josh Bailey (New York Islanders)
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Dunkin Donuts NHL Passing Challenge – Requires three skills over one round, including Target Passing (making four passes to a target that light up randomly), Give-and-Go (must complete four successful passes through a course in the neutral zone) and Mini Nets (must complete four passes over barricades and into mini-nets).
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers)
Brayden Schenn (St. Louis Blues)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Arizona Coyotes)
Eric Staal (Minnesota Wild)
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues)
Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
GEICO NHL Save Streak – Goalies attempt to win by making the most consecutive saves against an opposing division on a minimum of nine shots.
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) vs. Central Division
Connor Hellebuyck (Vancouver Canucks) vs. Pacific Division
Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators) vs. Metropolitan Division
Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas Golden Knights) vs. Atlantic Division
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) vs. Central Division
Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay – A timed event that involves three skills, including Stickhandling (where a skater must control a puck through a series of eight pucks in a straight line), Cone Control (where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight cones in a zig-zag formation) and Gates (where a skater must shoot or choose to guide the puck through a lighted rung of a gate).
Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames)
Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)
Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators)
John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars)
Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
PPG NHL Hardest Shot – Over two rounds, each player will attempt two shots measured in miles per hour with the highest speed recorded.
John Klingberg (Dallas Stars)
Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
P.K. Subban (Nashville Predators)
Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Honda NHL Shooting Accuracy – A timed event in which a skater is positioned 25 feet behind the goal line and must shoot at five LED targets in the goal. A target will light up and the players has three seconds to hit it.
Brian Boyle (New Jersey Devils)
Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets)
James Neal (Vegas Golden Knights)
Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks)
Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings)
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
James Neal Unlikely To Be Dealt By Trade Deadline
- While it was widely expected over the summer that Golden Knights winger James Neal would be moved by the trade deadline, his agent Pat Morris told Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he would be shocked if his client is in another uniform after February 26th. Vegas has shocked many by sitting atop the Western Conference standings at the All-Star break which has likely changed their original plans. Morris also reiterated that Neal would entertain signing a contract extension to stay with the expansion franchise though neither he nor GM George McPhee would indicate if talks are currently ongoing.
Extension Perception: William Karlsson & Shooting Percentages
The Vegas Golden Knights have been an incredible story for the better part of a year. On March 6th, 2017 the team signed Reid Duke, the first player under contract with the expansion franchise and a symbol for what would transpire in the upcoming months. Duke had been a top pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL, fifth overall in the 2011 bantam draft. He came in with huge expectations for the junior club, only to underwhelm through his first few seasons. He was good, but not great, in those first two years with Lethbridge and fell to the sixth round in the NHL draft.
Minnesota was the team who finally took a chance on him, selecting him 169th overall. That year in junior he would be traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he would again play well, but never come to an agreement on a professional contract with the Wild. Instead, he would head back to junior as an overage free agent, now adrift from the only NHL organization he’d ever been a part of. That feeling is one known by the rest of the Golden Knights squad, after they were left exposed in the expansion draft or sent to Vegas in order to protect a more valuable player.
William Karlsson may be the best example. The Columbus Blue Jackets needed to protect some of their other, more prized players—specifically Josh Anderson, who was left technically unprotected—and ended up trading first and second round picks (and the contract of David Clarkson) to do so. As GM Jarmo Kekalainen said at the time, they did it to “try to keep the core of our team intact.” Karlsson, a good player who had scored 20 and 25 points in his first two NHL seasons was selected by Vegas instead.
If you’ve been following the NHL at all this season, it’s obvious that Karlsson had more to give. He currently ranks only behind Alex Ovechkin in goals with 27, only one fewer than he had scored in his entire North American professional career (NHL and AHL combined) before this season. He sits second on the Golden Knights in points behind only Jonathan Marchessault, eight points ahead of the team’s All-Star forward James Neal.
He also is a restricted free agent this summer.
The Golden Knights have already anointed Marchessault as part of the core moving forward, signing him to a six-year $30MM contract extension at the beginning of the month. The Florida Panthers cast-off is the most dangerous forward on the ice more often than not, and is proving that his 30-goal season in 2016-17 was no fluke. For Karlsson, that question still exists.
There was never an expectation that Karlsson would turn into a potential 40-goal scorer, not even when he was selected 53rd overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011. He’d never shown skill like that before, and though if you watch him on a nightly basis you can certainly see where it’s coming from now, there is still some doubt in his ability to replicate this season in the future. Karlsson is shooting a whopping 26.7% this season, which leads Anders Lee by 4% for the league lead. He’s directed just 101 shots on net, the fewest amount by anyone that has scored more than 17 goals. He trails the leaders in that category, Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko, by more than 100.
Karlsson had a 7.7% shooting percentage coming into this season, and though some of the boost could be explained away by playing with some exceptional linemates, his current pace is almost impossible to maintain long-term. Whether that means it will fall back to his career average isn’t a guarantee, but somewhere closer to the league average of around 9% is much more likely. That brings out the question, of what to do in terms of an extension.
The 25-year old Karlsson is earning just $1MM this season, and isn’t scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2020. That means any extension will be buying out two years of restricted free agency, unlike Marchessault’s deal or a potential contract for Neal, who is also a UFA this summer. That helps keep it low, but there is a way to perhaps keep it even lower if the Golden Knights believe in statistical regression more than Karlsson’s ability to shoot better than everyone else in the league.
Paying long-term for him at this point would likely mean handing him a very expensive extension. After all, he’s among the candidates for the Rocket Richard trophy and will be a key part of the first playoff appearance (and perhaps Presidents Trophy) in franchise history. But if they were to sign him to a shorter bridge deal, while still an obvious raise on his current salary, it would force him to prove once again he can be among the league’s best goal scorers before receiving out any long-term deal. The Golden Knights have to be careful not to overpay for production that isn’t likely to repeat—unless of course they think it will, and that this is the new Karlsson.
The contract negotiations for Karlsson will be one of the most interesting parts of the offseason, as he also has arbitration rights. His case will be one that will show the hand of the Golden Knights in terms of traditional or analytical negotiating, and how hard they’ll work to—if we can borrow a line from Karlsson’s old GM—try to keep the core of their team intact.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
PHWA Announces Midseason Awards
The Professional Hockey Writers Association this season asked their members to vote for the end of year awards at the halfway point, and today announced the winners. Votes were cast on all the awards given annually to the top players in the league, and though they may not actually win when the time comes it is is a good look into which players will be in consideration.
The results are as follows:
Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP):
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Third place: John Tavares, New York Islanders
James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top defenseman):
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Third place: John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Top defensive forward):
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Second place: Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers
Third place: Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the year):
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
Second place: Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks
Third place: Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
Vezina Trophy (Top goaltender):
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Third place: Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct):
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
Second place: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Third place: Ryan O’Reilly, Buffalo Sabres
Jack Adams Award (Coach of the year):
Gerard Gallant, Vegas Golden Knights
Second place: Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning
Third place: Paul Maurice, Winnipeg Jets
General Manager of the Year:
George McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights
Second place: Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Third place: Ray Shero, New Jersey Devils
Top Defensive Defenseman:
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Second place: Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Third place: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Comeback Player of the Year:
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Brian Boyle, New Jersey Devils
Third place: Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
Brayden McNabb Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury, Jason Garrison Recalled
- Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury that was sustained in Tuesday’s game against Columbus, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He’s expected to be out for their game on Thursday versus the Islanders. Blueliner Jason Garrison has been recalled from AHL Chicago and is expected to play in his first NHL game since October 13th.
Minor Transactions: 01/24/18
We’ve already seen a signing today that brought Nathan Gerbe back into the North American fold, but there will be several other minor moves around the league. Right here is where we’ll keep track of all of them.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman from the minor leagues, placing Shawn Matthias on injured reserve. The move could be due to Dmitry Kulikov‘s injury, suffered after being hit by Tomas Hertl last night. Poolman has played 13 games this season for the Jets, recording a single point but showing that he could potentially be an answer on defense in the coming years. The 24-year old turned pro out of the University of North Dakota last March, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
- Oscar Dansk has been loaned back to the Chicago Wolves, now that he is healthy enough to return to action. Dansk was moved off injured reserve this week and will continue his development in the AHL. The 23-year old played in four games with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, allowing just five goals and recording a .946 save percentage.
- The Detroit Red Wings have indeed sent David Booth to the minor leagues now that he’s cleared waivers for the third time. The team recalled Dominic Turgeon, who had only just been sent down this week, to take his place.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Tyler Motte back to the minor leagues, another good sign for Cam Atkinson who is close to returning. Atkinson had his foot broken by a Seth Jones shot just a month ago, but has been skating with the team recently.
- With James Reimer dealing with a lower-body injury, the Florida Panthers have recalled goaltender Samuel Montembeault from the AHL. That puts the Panthers with a duo of Montembeault and Harri Sateri, who have a combined three NHL appearances (all Sateri). It’s not clear how serious Reimer’s injury is, but we’ll surely find out soon.
- According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the San Jose Sharks have brought Marcus Sorensen back up from the minor leagues after getting the news that Joe Thornton would be out at least a couple of weeks. Sorensen has played 15 games for the Sharks this season, scoring three goals.
- The Penguins Penguins have sent goaltender Tristan Jarry to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This will allow him to play in up to two games in the minors during the NHL All-Star break. Jarry has lost playing time to Casey DeSmith in recent games so this will serve as an opportunity to keep him in playing shape before deciding whether or not to bring him back afterwards.
Minor Transactions: 01/22/18
When the Vegas Golden Knights woke up this Monday morning, they found themselves all alone in first place in the entire NHL. The expansion club has 66 points on the season and show no signs of slowing down. While the playoffs were a likely afterthought in the summer months, the team now has its sights set on the Presidents’ Trophy and the top seed in the postseason. As always, any minor moves made by the Golden Knights or any club will be collected here throughout the day.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Chris DiDomenico and Erik Burgdoerfer from the minor leagues as they deal with injuries and prepare for their game tonight against Minnesota. The Senators will head to St. Louis tomorrow for the second half of a back-to-back romp through the Central Division.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Mirco Mueller from his AHL conditioning stint, but haven’t actually activated him from long-term injured reserve. Mueller played two games for the Binghamton Devils and was held scoreless. The Devils don’t necessarily have to activate him right away, but with their defensive corps not playing up to the standard set at the beginning of the year he could lend a helpful hand as soon as he’s healthy enough to contribute.
- After playing in his third career NHL game last night, Roland McKeown has been sent back to the AHL. The Carolina Hurricanes prospect has some impressive potential, but hasn’t been able to crack the NHL squad full-time just yet. After turning 22 on Saturday, he’ll try to show they can’t keep him in the minor leagues for much longer.
- Brendan Lemieux is back up with the Winnipeg Jets, recalled today from the Manitoba Moose. Lemieux has dominated the AHL this season scoring 25 points in 27 games and even scored his first NHL goal earlier in the year. He’s another interesting piece for the Jets forward group that continues to show off its depth and versatility.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Travis Sanheim back to the minor leagues to keep him playing, recalling Mark Alt in his place. Sanheim is a big part of the Flyers future on defense, but had been sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch recently. Now he’ll get the chance to log big minutes once again for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and wait for his next opportunity in the NHL.
- The Dallas Stars have brought Jason Dickinson back up, giving him another chance in the NHL. The 29th-overall pick from 2013 has seven games with the Stars this year, but hasn’t registered a single point. In the minors though, Dickinson has 16 goals and 21 points on the year as he continues to develop as a two-way center.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Rinat Valiev from the AHL while placing Morgan Rielly on injured reserve. Valiev is likely only up as insurance for the club as Rielly nurses his injury over the All-Star break. If Valiev does get into an NHL game, it would be his first since the 2015-16 season, when he suited up ten times for the last place Maple Leafs.
- Daniel Sprong has been officially assigned to the AHL, as the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare for Bryan Rust‘s imminent return. Sprong has played in just eight games for Pittsburgh this season despite a solid rookie season in the minor leagues where he has 28 points in 29 games. Fans hoping for a full-time role for Sprong will have to wait a little longer, as he continues to learn the defensive side of the game and develop further in the minors.
Minor Transactions: 1/20/18
With the bye weeks now over with, the schedule is in full swing today with 13 games on tap. As a result, there should be plenty of roster movement throughout the day. We’ll keep tabs on those minor moves here.
- The Sharks have recalled goalie Troy Grosenick from San Jose of the AHL, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). This comes on the heels of starter Martin Jones being seen limping following their last game so it appears that Grosenick will be an insurance policy for the time being. The 28-year-old has seen limited action in the minors this season, playing in just 15 games while posting a 2.91 GAA and a save percentage of .891.
- The Blue Jackets announced via Twitter that they have recalled winger Markus Hannikainen as well as defenseman Dean Kukan from AHL Cleveland. Hannikainen has spent most of the season with Columbus but had been sent down on Thursday to get into a minor league game last night. As for Kukan, he has been up with the team on three other occasions already this season but has yet to play an NHL game in 2017-18. He is their top scoring defender in the minors though with 15 points in 31 games.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen tweeted that the Vegas Golden Knights have sent veteran defenseman Jason Garrison back to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. The transaction was announced on the AHL transaction wire, according to Schoen. The 33-year-old blueliner was recalled Wednesday to fill in for injuries to defensemen Luca Sbisa and Jonathon Merrill. Many felt he was also brought up to face his old team Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning, but Garrison proved to be just the team’s extra defenseman in both games and was scratched both times. He was originally placed on waivers by the team on Oct. 27 after playing just four games with the Golden Knights.
- The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Joel Eriksson Ek today after the team sent the 20-year-old to the Iowa Wild to get in some playing time while the team went on their bye-week. With Minnesota slated to play the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight, the youngster will return to the team’s fourth line. The 2015 first-round pick has struggled adjusting to the NHL with just one goal and five assists in 39 games so far this year.
- While talk that defenseman Brett Pesce might be close to returning soon, the Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled defenseman Roland McKeown from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL to hold his roster spot. The 22-year-old, 2014 second-round pick currently is tied for fifth in the AHL with a plus/minus of +22 and has three goals and 10 assists in 37 games for the Checkers. It will be his second trip to join the Hurricanes. He was recalled in early November and played in two games, garnering two assists.