Zach Whitecloud Undergoes Surgery, Out Week-to-Week
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without Zach Whitecloud for at least the start of the year after the defender underwent successful hand surgery. The team has officially announced that Whitecloud is week-to-week, although reports say he could be out for as long as six months.
This would be a huge blow for Whitecloud, who’s suffered a string of injuries going back to the start of the 2021-22 season. In October of that year, Whitecloud was held out for just under a month after blocking a shot with his wrist. And while he was able to return to the lineup quickly, Whitecloud suffered another injury in February, fracturing his foot and missing another month of play. He also missed two months of the 2022-23 season with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
But while Whitecloud hasn’t faired well with injuries, he has left a notable impression when he is on the ice, enough to earn a six-year contract extension starting in 2022-23. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $2.75MM and carries Whitecloud through his age-30 season.
Whitecloud has appeared in 186 career games, including 59 games in each of the last two seasons. In 2021-22, he recorded eight goals and 19 points, while averaging just under 19 minutes per game. Each of those numbers went down over the last season, with Whitecloud netting 12 points and averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time. The defenseman has also made his impact felt on special teams, consistently appearing as a top-four option for Vegas’ penalty kill.
Vegas has a few different options to replace Whitecloud, including Kaedan Korczak, Brayden Pachal, and Daniil Miromanov. All three defenders have NHL experience, appearing in 11, 12, and 25 career games respectively, and all served in major AHL roles when they weren’t with the NHL club last season. With Whitecloud slated to miss at least the start of the year, and as much as the first half of the season, Vegas will need one of these two blue-liners to step up.
Injury Notes: Stars, Avalanche, Martinez, Savoie
Saad Yousuf of The Athletic relayed several injury updates from the Head Coach of the Dallas Stars, Peter DeBoer this morning. All of the injury reports being on the milder side, the Stars could reasonably expect most of the players to be ready for opening night next week.
Being two of the more high-profile players on the list forwards Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston are both working their way back from injuries. Hintz has returned to skating following an upper-body injury, while Johnston had a non-surgical procedure performed, and is expected back skating this weekend.
Following those two, Yousuf reports that Radek Faksa has received stitches, but is not in concussion protocol after receiving a solid check in Tuesday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Not playing in Tuesday night’s game, DeBoer also mentions that defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is out with an undisclosed injury, and is currently being evaluated by the team’s medical staff.
It goes without saying that injury news of any kind is negative news, but luckily for Dallas, a team that could very well win the NHL’s Central Division this season, all should be back in due time.
Other injury notes:
- Staying in the Central Division, Corey Masisak of the Denver Post similarly relayed injury news from the Head Coach of the Avalanche, Jared Bednar. Bednar expects both Mikko Rantanen and Josh Manson to be ready for opening night but is unsure in regards to the status of Andrew Cogliano. For the entirety of this year’s preseason, Rantanen and Manson have each only suited up in one game, while Cogliano is still working his way back from a fractured neck in last year’s opening-round playoff matchup against the Seattle Kraken.
- Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that three-time Cup champion defenseman, Alec Martinez, will not participate in any team activities for the next few days due to a lower-body injury. Losing a step since his time with the Los Angeles Kings, the Vegas Golden Knights will surely use the next few days to make sure Martinez is ready for opening night, as he was a part of the defensive core that was fundamental in the Knights winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history last season.
- With his eligibility still up in the air for the AHL this season, Buffalo Sabres’ prospect, Matthew Savoie is progressing nicely in recovery of an upper-body injury, and will likely be rejoining the team tomorrow morning. Having the talent to crack Buffalo’s roster out of the gates this upcoming season, Savoie’s play to finish up training camp may resolve any questions the Sabres had regarding his eligibility.
Pacific Notes: Whitecloud, Karlsson, Canucks, Flames
The Vegas Golden Knights are grappling with uncertainty surrounding the availability of defenseman Zach Whitecloud for their opening night banner-raising against the Seattle Kraken next Tuesday. Head coach Bruce Cassidy, during a press conference Wednesday, expressed hesitance to confirm Whitecloud’s participation in the season opener.
Cassidy said that until Zach is on the ice, he can’t say he expects him to play. Whitecloud, a key depth piece for the Golden Knights, has been dealing with an undisclosed issue that has kept him off the ice during preseason activities for around a week. The 26-year-old missed significant time last season with injury, playing 59 out of 82 games and recording 12 points and a +10 rating. When healthy, he’s expected to resume his usual role on the team’s third pairing behind Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore on the team’s right side.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division today:
- Sticking with Vegas, they’re also dealing with a day-to-day injury to center William Karlsson that is not expected to stretch into the regular season. Cassidy said he’s been dealing with an undisclosed issue throughout training camp to date and that he will not play in tomorrow’s preseason contest against the Colorado Avalanche. Karlsson played a crucial role in the Knights’ run to the 2023 Stanley Cup, recording 11 goals and 17 points in 22 games. His 53 points last season were his highest since 2018-19, his sophomore campaign with Vegas, after potting 43 goals in the 2017-18 season.
- The Vancouver Canucks are bringing in some reinforcements, recalling multiple players from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks today. Goaltender Arturs Silovs, defenseman Filip Johansson, and forwards Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson will be available to the team for tonight’s preseason contest against the Seattle Kraken. All will likely get returned to the minors tomorrow after being cut from Canucks camp earlier this week.
- Sportsnet’s Eric Francis believes a “significant announcement” regarding a new arena for the Calgary Flames could come tomorrow. Plans for a new home to replace the aging Scotiabank Saddledome are already well underway, with their ownership group and the Alberta government reaching a preliminary agreement for a new arena after the end of last season. The provincial government also greenlit the first C$39MM dedicated to the project last month.
Summer Synopsis: Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights won the ultimate prize this past spring in just their sixth season in existence. It was a spectacular rise that is the envy of almost every franchise in the NHL. The Knights shot to their first championship just a year after they missed the playoffs and are looking like a possibility to repeat. Now just because a team looks as though they can repeat doesn’t mean they will. Only two teams have accomplished this feat in the past 25 years and they both required a lot of good luck both on and off the ice to accomplish it. No one knows if Vegas will be able to repeat, but there is little doubt that they must be one of the favorites to come out of a weak Western Conference.
Vegas was strapped once again by the salary cap this summer and had to move on from some players who had been with the club for a long time. But like every team that wins hockey’s ultimate prize, they will be counting on new blood to inject some energy into the lineup.
Draft
1-32: C David Edstrom, Frolunda-JR (Sweden-JR)
3-77: C Mathieu Cataford, Halifax (QMJHL)
3-96: D Arttu Karki, Severstal Tappara JR. (Finland-JR)
6-192: RW Tuomas Uronen, HIFK JR. (Finland-JR)
With the last pick in the first round of this year’s NHL entry draft, Vegas elected to take big two-way center Edstrom out of Sweden. The 18-year-old was a point-a-game player in almost every league he played in last season as he bounced around to different tournaments and league teams. He is slated to start the year in the SHL and will have the opportunity to play against men. Edstrom has a very balanced game that surprises a lot of people, he is an excellent passer, is very good off the rush and can turn from defense to offense very quickly. His transition game is very underrated, and it could become his calling card as he is sound defensively.
Cataford is unlikely to wow anyone with his offensive ability, but he is an honest player who is difficult to contend with in one-on-one battles and has a nose for the net. He is well suited to be a bottom-six NHLer as his defensive game is his strongest attribute. He is good at identifying defensive zone issues and is quick to close gaps, he has good speed north to south and can use his physicality to separate player from puck. His movement laterally isn’t great, and he will likely need to improve on it if he wants to become an NHL penalty killer.
Trade Acquisitions
None
UFA Signings
D Mason Geertsen (two years, $1.55MM)*
Due to cap constraints, the Golden Knights were far less active in free agency than they had been in any previous offseason. Mason Geertsen was signed to a two-way contract and will likely spend the bulk of the season in the AHL with Henderson. The 28-year-old offers little in the way of offensive production as he had just four goals and four assists last season in 61 AHL games with Utica. The native of Drayton Valley, Alberta, has dressed in 25 career NHL games with the New Jersey Devils and has yet to register a point.
RFA Re-Signings
LW Pavel Dorofeyev (one year, $825K)
C Brett Howden (two years, $3.8MM)
G Jiri Patera (one year, $775K)*
D Brayden Pachal (two years, $1.55MM)*
*-denotes two-way contract
Vegas didn’t have much business to take care of on the restricted free-agent market. Brett Howden is a player that scouts were high on when he first broke into the league with the New York Rangers in 2018-19. Howden registered six goals and 17 assists that season in 66 games and appeared poised to be a two-way threat from the center position. Now five years into his NHL career, Howden has never reached the same offensive numbers posting just six goals and seven assists in 54 games last season, however, his defensive game has improved over time. Howden’s lines don’t typically drive the play when he is on the ice, but he is defensively sound and has become much more responsible with the puck as his career has gone on. He is also sneaky good at stripping the puck off opponents using both his size and skill.
Departures
F Phil Kessel (unsigned UFA)
C Nolan Patrick (unsigned UFA)
C Sakari Manninen (signed in Champions Hockey League)
C Maxim Marushev (signed in KHL)
D Connor Corcoran (signed in AHL)
RW Spencer Foo (signed in KHL)
LW Reilly Smith (traded to Pittsburgh)
G Jonathan Quick (New York Rangers, one year, $825K)
G Laurent Brossoit (Winnipeg, one year, $1.75MM)
C Teddy Blueger (Vancouver, one year, $1.9MM)
F Sven Baertschi (Retired)
On paper it looks like Vegas lost a lot of pieces, however, a deeper dive into the list shows you that the Golden Knights only lost a single player that dressed in their Stanley Cup winning game this past June.
Smith was the cap casualty that allowed the Golden Knights to be cap-compliant for the upcoming season. The 32-year-old was shipped to Pittsburgh for a third-round pick in a trade that looks lopsided on paper but appears less so after putting it into context. Vegas badly needed to clear cap room and was able to recoup an asset for Smith rather than having to attach one to ship out another contract. As the summer went on teams had a difficult time moving out money and Vegas was able to shed all of Smith’s contract without having to retain any of his cap hit. Pittsburgh did well in the trade, Smith is still a terrific player and should have every opportunity to play alongside Evgeni Malkin.
Blueger dressed in just six games for Vegas during their run to the Stanley Cup. He has never been able to post much in the way of offense but is a decent penalty killer and a good defensive center. He was snakebit offensively last year but still managed to get a decent payday this summer from the Vancouver Canucks. Vegas has enough depth to overcome his departure and shouldn’t have too much cause for concern that he will not be in the lineup come opening night.
Kessel dressed in all 82 regular season games for the Golden Knights last season and registered 14 goals and 22 assists while averaging 12:49 of ice time a game. It was the first time Kessel had averaged less than 15 minutes a game since 2007-08. Kessel’s game has been in decline since his exit from Pittsburgh in 2019 and it became evident in April that he wasn’t able to keep up with the pace of playoff hockey. The 36-year-old had two assists in just four playoff games for Vegas and didn’t dress after the first round. He was not re-signed before July 1st allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent and to this point, he has gone unsigned which will likely mean the end of his incredible Iron Man streak.
Salary Cap Outlook
The Golden Knights salary cap situation was dire this offseason as evidenced by their lack of roster improvement. Long term the club currently has about $17MM available next summer to sign 6-7 players and depending on the salary cap increase that number could top $20MM. At first glance it seems like an opportunity to make a splash however Vegas has several key unrestricted free agents to re-sign in Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault, who are both due raises on their current cap hits. Stephenson has posted several strong seasons and is currently making just $2.75MM, he should easily double that on his next contract.
Key Questions
Who Will Be The Starter? Adin Hill has a new two-year deal in hand, but he has yet to cement himself as an NHL starter despite having a Stanley Cup on his resume. Hill has never dressed in more than 27 NHL games in any one season and was a bit of a journeyman prior to being acquired for a fourth-round pick last summer. The good news for Vegas is that they still have Logan Thompson waiting in the wings and he showed last year that he is more than capable of taking hold of the net.
Can Vegas Repeat? Vegas was never really in danger in last year’s playoffs as they were able to neutralize the likes of Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk, and Leon Draisaitl with stifling defense while riding the hot hand of Hill to the Stanley Cup final. Vegas used multiple goalies and had a lot of luck along the way, which begs the question as to whether they can win it all a second time. They have virtually the same roster that they did a year ago, meaning the odds of a repeat are actually pretty good.
Can Mark Stone Stay Healthy? Stone is a warrior, he showed that in the playoffs when he returned to the lineup to captain Vegas to their first Stanley Cup. Stone had 11 goals and 13 assists in 22 games while playing almost 19 minutes a night. However, he has played just 80 games over the past two seasons as he has dealt with back issues that have persisted. It will be interesting to see if his body can hold up to the grind of a gruelling 82-game regular season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/30/23
With AHL camps set to start in the coming days, there will be some more cuts coming across the NHL today. We’ll keep track of those moves here:
Anaheim Ducks (via team Twitter)
G Gage Alexander (to San Diego, AHL)
F Davis Codd (to San Diego, AHL)
F Ben King (to San Diego, AHL)
F Blake McLaughlin (to San Diego, AHL)
D Luka Profaca (to San Diego, AHL)
G Tomas Suchanek (to San Diego, AHL)
D Nick Wolff (to San Diego, AHL)
Arizona Coyotes (via team Twitter)
D Maveric Lamoureux (to Drummondville, QMJHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)
D Vsevolod Komarov (to Quebec, QMJHL)
Edmonton Oilers (via team release)
D Noel Hoefenmayer (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Alex Peters (released from PTO, to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Olivier Rodrigue (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Carter Savoie (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (via team release)
F Owen Beck (to Peterborough, OHL)
D Tobie Bisson (to Laval, AHL)
F Gabriel Bourque (to Laval, AHL)
F Jared Davidson (to Laval, AHL)
D Stanislav Demin (to Laval, AHL)
F Isaac Dufort (to Laval, AHL)
G Zachary Emond (to Laval, AHL)
D Olivier Galipeau (to Laval, AHL)
F Brandon Gignac (to Laval, AHL)
D Noah Laaouan (to Laval, AHL)
F Nathan Legare (to Laval, AHL)
G Strauss Mann (to Laval, AHL)
F Riley McKay (to Laval, AHL)
F Filip Mesar (to Laval, AHL)
F Jan Mysak (to Laval, AHL)
F Jakov Novak (to Laval, AHL)
D Christopher Ortiz (to Laval, AHL)
D/F John Parker-Jones (to Laval, AHL)
F Joshua Roy (to Laval, AHL)
F Xavier Simoneau (to Laval, AHL)
F Ty Smilanic (to Laval, AHL)
D Jayden Struble (to Laval, AHL)
D Miguel Tourigny (to Laval, AHL)
F Alex-Olivier Voyer (to Laval, AHL)
G Joe Vrbetic (to Laval, AHL)
F Nolan Yaremko (to Laval, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
F Alex Belzile (to Hartford, AHL)
F Anton Blidh (to Hartford, AHL)
F Turner Elson (to Hartford, AHL)
D Connor Mackey (to Hartford, AHL)
F Riley Nash (to Hartford, AHL)
F Adam Sykora (to Hartford, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
F Jordy Bellerive (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Elliot Desnoyers (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Jacob Gaucher (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Helge Grans (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
F Adam Gaudette (to Springfield, AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release)
G Ben Gaudreau (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Bennett MacArthur (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Cole Koepke (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Daniel Walcott (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Daniel Walker (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Declan Carlile (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Devante Stephens (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Emil Lilleberg (to Syracuse, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Felix Robert (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Gabriel Dumont (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Gabriel Szturc (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Gage Goncalves (to Syracuse, AHL)
G Hugo Alnefelt (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Ilya Usau (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jack Finley (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Jack Thompson (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jaydon Dureau (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Joe Carroll (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Logan Brown (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Louka Henault (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Lucas Edmonds (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Maxwell Crozier (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Maxim Groshev (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Mitchell Chaffee (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Philippe Myers (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Roman Schmidt (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Sean Day (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Shawn Element (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Tristan Allard (to Syracuse, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via team release)
D Layton Ahac (to Henderson, AHL)
F Tyler Benson (to Henderson, AHL)
D Jake Bischoff (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jakub Brabenec (to Henderson, AHL)
D Daniil Chayka (to Henderson, AHL)
D Lukas Cormier (to Henderson, AHL)
F Adam Cracknell (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jakub Demek (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mason Morelli (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jiri Patera (to Henderson, AHL)
D Christoffer Sedoff (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jesper Vikman (to Henderson, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release)
F Brad Lambert (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Daniel Torgersson (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Nikita Chibrikov (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Simon Lundmark (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Dmitri Kuzmin (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Artemi Kniazev (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Tyrel Bauer (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Dean Stewart (released from PTO, to Manitoba, AHL)
G Oskari Salminen (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Thomas Milic (to Manitoba, AHL)
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Waivers: 9/30/23
With the start of the NHL season now just ten days away, daily waiver activity will be continuing league-wide. Here is a listing of the players that are on the wire today per various team announcements and TSN’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link).
Buffalo Sabres
G Devin Cooley
F Justin Richards
G Dustin Tokarski
Edmonton Oilers
F Drake Caggiula
F Greg McKegg
Montreal Canadiens
D Nicolas Beaudin
F Lucas Condotta
D Brady Keeper
F Mitchell Stephens
Nashville Predators
F Anthony Angello
D Kevin Gravel
G Troy Grosenick
D Jordan Gross
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
F Josh Currie
D Dillon Heatherington
F Garrett Pilon
D Lassi Thomson
While Ottawa’s players were announced as being waived on Friday, it was after the 1 PM CT cut-off which means their waiver clock starts today.
Vegas Golden Knights
F Byron Froese
D/F Mason Geertsen
D Dysin Mayo
F Gage Quinney
F Sheldon Rempal
F Jonas Rondbjerg
Most of the forwards on this list have cleared waivers in the past with Condotta being the lone exception as this is his first time eligible for waivers. He spent most of last season in the minors but scored in his lone NHL appearance. Quinney and Rempal were productive in the minors last season, averaging just shy of a point per game while Caggiula had over 50 points as well.
Among the defensemen, Thomson could be one to keep an eye on for a potential claim. The 23-year-old was the 19th overall pick in 2019 and is still on his entry-level contract. He hasn’t had much success at the NHL level so far but as a young right-shot defender, a rebuilding team or two might be inclined to take a flyer on him.
Mayo logged nearly 21 minutes a night on the back end for Arizona back in 2021-22 but cleared waivers last season and was eventually traded to Vegas in exchange for Shea Weber’s LTIR-eligible contract. He has two years left on a one-way deal worth $950K per season which could scare teams off. Beaudin is a former first-rounder himself back in 2018 (27th overall) but has just 22 NHL games under his belt, none of which came last season between Montreal and Chicago.
Grosenick and Tokarski are no strangers to the waiver wire. Tokarski has cleared all five times while Grosenick has cleared six out of eight times he has been waived over the years. This will be Cooley’s first time on waivers but while he had a decent season in Nashville’s system last season (posting a .909 SV% with AHL Milwaukee), it would be surprising to see him picked up.
Each player will be available to teams until 1 PM CT on Sunday.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/29/23
It’s another day in the NHL preseason, meaning it’s another day of cuts and reassignments. Yesterday was a busy one for player movement across North American hockey’s various preseasons, and today could be no different. We’ll track those transactions here.
Boston Bruins (via team release)
D Jackson Edward (to London, OHL)
D Ryan Mast (to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team release)
F Christopher Brown (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Filip Cederqvist (to Rochester, AHL)
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Brandon Fortunato (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Damien Giroux (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Chris Jandric (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Aleksandr Kisakov (to Rochester, AHL)
F Tyson Kozak (to Rochester, AHL)
F Dominick Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Michael Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Zach Metsa (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Olivier Nadeau (to Rochester, AHL)
F Viktor Neuchev (to Rochester, AHL)
D Nikita Novikov (to Rochester, AHL)
D Ethan Prow (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Nicolas Savoie (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Graham Slaggert (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Linus Weissbach (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
F Parker Bell (to Calgary, AHL)
D Mikael Diotte (released from ATO)
D Jarrod Gourley (to Calgary, AHL)
D Etienne Morin (to Moncton, QMJHL)
F Brett Sutter (to Calgary, AHL)
F William Stromgren (to Calgary, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis)
D Josh Healey (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
F Jalen Luypen (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ross MacDougall (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
D Josh Maniscalco (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
D Andrew Perrott (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via team release)
F Henry Bowlby (to Colorado, AHL)
F Tanner Kero (to Colorado, AHL)
F Matthew Stienburg (to Colorado, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
F Roman Ahcan (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Angle (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Ole-Julian Bjorgvik-Holm (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Cameron Butler (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Cole Clayton (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Luca Del Bel Belluz (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Eric Dop (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
F Jake Gaudet (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Samuel Knazko (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Nicolas Meloche (released from PTO)
F Mikael Pyyhtia (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Martin Rysavy (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
D Thomas Schemitsch (released from PTO)
F Owen Sillinger (to Cleveland, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
F Kaleb Lawrence (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Nathan Burke (released from tryout)
F Sean Tschigerl (released from tryout)
F Ty Thorpe (released from tryout)
D Max Coyle (released from tryout)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F Kale Kessy (released from PTO, to Iowa, AHL)
D Simon Johansson (to Iowa, AHL)
D Kyle Masters (to Iowa, AHL)
F Greg Meireles (released from PTO, to Iowa, AHL)
F Pavel Novak (to Iowa, AHL)
D David Spacek (to Iowa, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via team release)
D Tanner Molendyk (to Saskatoon, WHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
G Tyler Brennan (to Utica, AHL)
F Filip Engaras (to Utica, AHL)
D Colin Felix (to Utica, AHL)
F Josh Filmon (to Swift Current, WHL)
F T.J. Friedmann (to Utica, AHL)
F Joseph Gambardella (to Utica, AHL)
F Timur Ibragimov (to Utica, AHL)
D Will MacKinnon (to Utica, AHL)
F Xavier Parent (to Utica, AHL)
D Robbie Russo (to Utica, AHL)
F Ryan Schmelzer (to Utica, AHL)
D Topias Vilen (to Utica, AHL)
New York Islanders (via team release)
D Isaiah George (to London, OHL)
F Justin Gill (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
G Tristan Lennox (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Zsombor Garat (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Blade Jenkins (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Artem Kulakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Brent Moran (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Sam Asselin (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Cole Bardreau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Tanner Fritz (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jeff Kubiak (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Seth Helgeson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ashton Calder (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Joseph Cipollone (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Riley Piercey (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jake Pivonka (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Trevor Cosgrove (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Christian Krygier (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Vincent Sevigny (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Henrik Tikkanen (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
D Nikolas Brouillard (to Hartford, AHL)
D Adam Clendening (released from PTO)
F Karl Henriksson (to Hartford, AHL)
D Blake Hillman (released from PTO, to Hartford, AHL)
F Ryder Korzcak (to Hartford, AHL)
F Bobby Trivigno (to Hartford, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
F Angus Crookshank (to Belleville, AHL)
F Philippe Daoust (to Belleville, AHL)
F Tarun Fizer (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Ryan MacKinnon (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
F Graham McPhee (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
G Leevi Merilainen (to Belleville, AHL)
F Brennan Saulnier (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Donovan Sebrango (to Belleville, AHL)
G Mark Sinclair (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Djibril Touré (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
F Alexis Gendron (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Adam Karashik (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Nolan Maier (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Ethan Samson (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Zayde Wisdom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Will Zmolek (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
F Jonathan Gruden (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Rem Pitlick (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
G Jack LaFontaine (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Jacob Melanson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Logan Morrison (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Ville Ottavainen (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Tucker Robertson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Ryan Winterton (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
F Mikhail Abramov (to Springfield, AHL)
D Jeremie Biakabutuka (to Springfield, AHL)
F Drew Callin (to Springfield, AHL)
G Will Cranley (to Springfield, AHL)
F Tanner Dickinson (to Springfield, AHL)
D Joseph Duszak (to Springfield, AHL)
D Marc-Andre Gaudet (to Springfield, AHL)
F Andre Heim (to Springfield, AHL)
F Mitch Hoelscher (to Springfield, AHL)
D Austin Osmanski (to Springfield, AHL)
F Nick Ritchie (released from PTO)
D Hunter Skinner (to Springfield, AHL)
D Andy Welinski (released from PTO)
G Vadim Zherenko (to Springfield, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per CapFriendly)
F Jakub Brabenec (to Henderson, AHL)
D Daniil Chayka (to Henderson, AHL)
D Lukas Cormier (to Henderson, AHL)
D Christoffer Sedoff (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jesper Vikman (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Andrew Cristall (to Kelowna, WHL)
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Golden Knights Rule Out Zach Whitecloud For Rest Of Preseason
Earlier this week, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy stated that he was hopeful that Zach Whitecloud’s upper-body injury wouldn’t be a long-term concern. However, it won’t be a short-term one either as Cassidy told reporters today including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been ruled out for the rest of the preseason with an update on his status to come once the exhibition campaign has come to an end.
The 26-year-old has been one of the more successful undrafted college free agent signings over the past few years. Whitecloud has become a reliable third-pairing blueliner for Vegas, earning himself a six-year, $16.5MM contract back in 2021.
Last season, he suited up in 59 games, picking up a dozen points while recording 97 blocks and 90 hits in a little over 17 minutes a night. He followed that up with a good showing in the playoffs, playing in all 22 games, recording two goals and six assists while seeing his ATOI jump slightly to 18:42 per contest.
Fortunately for Vegas, they do have several candidates that could legitimately push for Whitecloud’s opening should he miss any regular season. Kaedan Korczak, Brayden Pachal, and Dysin Mayo all have seen NHL action already while prospect Lukas Cormier should also be in the mix so if Whitecloud isn’t ready to start the year, they shouldn’t have to look outside the organization for a short-term replacement.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/23
Pretty much any team who hasn’t started their preseason yet will do so tonight, as there’s a solid seven-game slate on the schedule tonight, including a nationally televised battle of New York between the Islanders and Rangers. As most teams do have their legs under them almost one week into training camp, roster cuts continue on the daily, mainly involving players being returned to juniors or being released from PTOs and ATOs after getting a look in preseason action. As always, we’re laser-focused on teams posting their roster moves, and we’re conglomerating them all in one place.
Anaheim Ducks (via The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee)
D Rodwin Dionicio (to Windsor, OHL)
F Connor Hvidston (to Swift Current, WHL)
F Nico Myatovic (to Seattle, WHL)
F Coulson Pitre (to Flint, OHL)
D Vojtech Port (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Konnor Smith (to Peterborough, OHL)
F Yegor Sidorov (to Saskatoon, WHL)
F Carey Terrance (to Erie, OHL)
Arizona Coyotes (via team release) (additional X link)
F Ryan Dzingel (released from PTO)
F Elliot Ekefjärd (to Europe, team unknown)
D Terrell Goldsmith (to Prince Albert, WHL)
F Patrick Harper (released from PTO to South Carolina, ECHL)
D Olli Juolevi (released from PTO)
D Justin Kipkie (to Victoria, WHL)
F Julian Lutz (to Green Bay, USHL)
D Austin Strand (released from PTO to Chicago, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
D Charles Côté (released from ATO to Rimouski, QMJHL)
D Tyson Galloway (released from ATO to Calgary, WHL)
G Jari Kykkanen (released from ATO to Kelowna, WHL)
F Jaden Lipinski (to Vancouver, WHL)
D Quinn Mantei (released from ATO to Brandon, WHL)
D Donovan McCoy (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
F Oliver Peer (released from ATO to Windsor, OHL)
F Nathan Pilling (released from ATO to Edmonton, WHL)
F Oliver Tulk (released from ATO to Calgary, WHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via team release)
F Jiri Felcman (to SCL Tigers, NL)
Colorado Avalanche (via team release)
F D.J. Busdeker (to Colorado, AHL)
D Gianni Fairbrother (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kyle Mayhew (to Colorado, AHL)
F Cédric Paré (to Colorado, AHL)
F Ryan Sandelin (to Colorado, AHL)
F Dalton Smith (to Colorado, AHL)
G Ivan Zhigalov (to Tri-City, USHL)
Nashville Predators (via team release)
G Austin Elliott (to Saskatoon, WHL)
G Owen Flores (to Niagara, OHL)
F Kalan Lind (to Red Deer, WHL)
D Dylan MacKinnon (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Austin Roest (to Everett, WHL)
D Graham Sward (to Wenatchee, WHL)
F Joseph Willis (to Saginaw, OHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
F Cole Brown (to Brantford, OHL)
F Cam Squires (to Cape Breton, QMJHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
D Matthew Andonovski (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Connor Clattenburg (released from ATO to
D Jorian Donovan (to Brantford, OHL)
D Tomas Hamara (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Jackson Stewart (released from ATO to Owen Sound, OHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
F Denver Barkey (to London, OHL)
D Oliver Bonk (to London, OHL)
F Jonathan Fauchon (released from ATO to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
D Sam Sedley (released from ATO to Owen Sound, OHL)
D Carter Sotheran (to Portland, WHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team release)
G Mason Beaupit (to Wenatchee, WHL)
D Luca Cagnoni (to Portland, WHL)
D Ethan Frisch (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jake Furlong (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Félix Gagnon (released from ATO to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Roman Kinal (to San Jose, AHL)
F Connor MacEachern (to San Jose, AHL)
F Bradley Marek (to San Jose, AHL)
F Anthony Vincent (to San Jose, AHL)
G Beck Warm (to San Jose, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
F Maxim Andreev (released from PTO to Coachella Valley, AHL)
G Jaxon Castor (released from PTO to Coachella Valley, AHL)
D Lukas Dragicevic (to Tri-City, WHL)
F Jagger Firkus (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
F David Goyette (to Sudbury, OHL)
D Kaden Hammell (to Everett, WHL)
F Kyle Jackson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Andrei Loshko (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Carson Rehkopf (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Eduard Sale (to Barrie, OHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release)
D Noah Chadwick (to Lethbridge, WHL)
Vancouver Canucks (via team release)
F Marc Gatcomb (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Alex Kannok-Leipert (to Abbotsford, AHL)
G Jonathan Lemieux (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Jermaine Loewen (to Abbotsford, AHL)
D Chad Nychuk (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Karel Plasek (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Cooper Walker (released from ATO to Abbotsford, AHL)
F Dmitry Zlodeyev (to Abbotsford, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via CapFriendly’s transactions log)
D Joe Fleming (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mason Primeau (to Henderson, AHL)
F Matyas Sapovaliv (to Sarnia, OHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release)
G Domenic DiVincentiis (to North Bay, OHL)
F Jacob Julien (to London, OHL)
D Simon Kubicek (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
F Connor Levis (to Kamloops, WHL)
D Jimmy Oligny (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
F C.J. Suess (released from PTO to Manitoba, AHL)
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Mason McTavish Is Day-To-Day With Injury
The Anaheim Ducks have announced that center Mason McTavish is day-to-day with an injury. Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune tweeted that Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek told reporters that McTavish tweaked something at yesterday’s practice while he was reaching for a puck. Verbeek remained optimistic that the injury was of the minor variety adding that he believed it was a muscle spasm that likely needed a day or two of rest before the 20-year-old could get back on the ice.
The Ducks are already missing several key young pieces at training camp who are without contracts for next year and can ill afford to miss McTavish for any length of time. Although the Ducks aren’t expected to be a contender this season the club is hoping that their young players like McTavish can take a big step forward and develop into frontline NHL players.
McTavish was the Ducks’ third overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft and had a good rookie season last year posting 17 goals and 26 assists in 80 games. Despite his decent numbers, McTavish ran out of gas for the last stretch of the season posting just a goal and an assist in the final 12 games of the regular season. He also suffered an injury on April 11th that effectively ended his season. A strong training camp will go a long way to getting McTavish some of his confidence back that he seemed to lose towards the end of last year.
If Verbeek’s assessment is correct it shouldn’t be an issue for the young McTavish to be well-prepared for the Ducks regular-season opener on October 14th against the Vegas Golden Knights.