Cory Schneider Activated, Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The New Jersey Devils are doing just fine with Keith Kinkaid as their starting goaltender, but will soon get back someone who aims on taking his job. Cory Schneider has been activated from the injured non-roster list, and will now be sent to the AHL on a conditioning loan. Schneider is coming back from hip surgery, and looking to reclaim his place as a starting goaltender in the NHL. The team has also sent Eric Gryba to the minor leagues after clearing waivers, to open up room for Schneider who will still count towards the NHL roster.
Now 32, it has been a few seasons since Schneider really stood out as an elite goaltender in the league. Once a lasting presence on the NHL leaderboards, he’s carried just a .908 save percentage through his last 100 games and will have to really show his worth to overtake Kinkaid in the New Jersey net. That will be a difficult task seeing as Kinkaid is currently 4-1 with a .941 save percentage, but there’s still at least one thing in Schneider’s favor—money. The Devils owe Schneider $6MM for this season and three more, meaning their hands are somewhat tied when it comes to goaltending. With Kinkaid scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2019, they might not be able to afford both.
That should give the Devils all the motivation they need to get Schneider back into the net on a regular basis, given that their future might rely on him. This team looks ready to compete for the playoffs for the next several years with their young core, and will need a solid goaltender to get them there. It does put pressure on the former All-Star to perform though, given that the team has a capable option to use this season instead of him. Schneider has been working hard all summer to come back from his latest injury, and will face his next test when he gets into some game action this weekend.
Carolina Hurricanes Place Michael Fora On Unconditional Waivers
The Carolina Hurricanes are set to open another roster spot, as they’ve placed Michael Fora on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Fora had signed with the team just this past June, but failed to make the NHL roster and only played one game for the Charlotte Checkers. The other three players on waivers from yesterday, David Ullstrom, Eric Gryba and Brian Lashoff, have all cleared.
Fora, 22, was a lottery ticket signed out of Switzerland this summer after posting an excellent season for Ambri-Piotta. The young defenseman recorded 27 points in 50 games, but had been a healthy scratch for the last few contests in Charlotte. Instead of sitting in the press box in North America, it’s likely that Fora will return to Switzerland or another European professional league.
Terminating his contract technically makes Fora available for any other team to sign, and even if he does return to Switzerland this season he’s a player to keep an eye on over the next few years. Right-shot defensemen that can move the puck effectively and have some size are in high demand in the NHL, and if he can take a few more steps in his development there will be plenty of interest.
Cory Conacher, Phillip Di Giuseppe Placed On Waivers
Thursday: Both Conacher and Di Giueseppe have cleared, but only the former will be sent down right away. The Hurricanes have decided to keep Di Giuseppe for now, likely because of their recent demotions of both Martin Necas and Haydn Fleury.
Wednesday: Another day, another set of waivers for the NHL. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes have placed Cory Conacher and Phillip Di Giuseppe on waivers respectively, after Jacob de La Rose was claimed by the Detroit Red Wings. Conacher and Di Giuseppe have both suited up already this season, but will likely be assigned to the minor leagues should they clear.
Conacher, 28, has bounced around the league several times but keeps landing in the Tampa Bay organization. A veteran of 189 games split between the Lightning, Senators, Sabres and Islanders, he played in 36 last season with the Lightning and recorded 12 points. A proficient minor league scorer, capable of producing at nearly a point-per-game pace, he unfortunately hasn’t been able to find the same success at the NHL level. Still, for any team looking for an energy player for their bottom-six, you could do worse than adding Conacher on waivers. He’s on the final year of his current deal, which is currently two-way and pays him just $650K at the NHL level.
Di Giuseppe is a different story entirely, given his status as a former top prospect. The 38th overall pick from the 2012 draft, Di Giuseppe has remained in the Carolina organization for several years but never found a ton of success at the NHL level. He did play in 49 games last season with the Hurricanes, but recorded just 13 games and couldn’t break into their top six despite some inconsistent performances from the players ahead of him. Still just 25, any claiming team would likely be doing so for his ability to play in various different spots than any hopes on him becoming a prolific scoring threat.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Jake Dotchin
Thursday: Dotchin has cleared waivers, officially signed with the Ducks and been assigned to the San Diego Gulls. He’ll play there until his conditioning is back to where it needs to be, at which point the Ducks will make a decision on whether he can help the NHL squad.
Wednesday: While the waiver wire today included two names already playing in the NHL, there was also another name that Tampa Bay Lightning fans will be familiar with. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Jake Dotchin was placed on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks. That’s the process required at this point in the season if the team has signed him to an NHL contract. Dotchin saw his previous deal terminated earlier this summer when he showed up to Lightning camp out of shape, but has been working hard to try and land a deal elsewhere around the league. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that it is a one-year deal, while LeBrun tweets it will be worth $800K.
Dotchin, 24, was an up-and-coming defenseman for the Lightning not long ago, partnered at times with Victor Hedman and valued for his physical style. In 35 games at the end of the 2016-17 season, Dotchin had impressed nearly everyone around the league and looked like a key part of the Tampa Bay core moving forward. Unfortunately that quickly turned, and the right-handed defenseman saw his role quickly diminish. When training camp came around this year, he apparently showed up very out of shape and saw his contract terminated for a “material breach.” That termination didn’t come without backlash though, and Dotchin has filed a grievance through the NHLPA and will still attempt to receive compensation for the slight difference between this contract and the one that Tampa Bay terminated.
For the Ducks, adding Dotchin is a low-risk option that could potentially bring quite positive results. It’s not as though he’s completely lost his talent, and if he can get back into (and stay in) shape quickly he could be a low cost option for their third pairing. At the very worst he’s an option for next season, as Dotchin will still be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights. The Ducks now control his rights, and will be able to decide whether he’s worth a qualifying offer a few months down the line.
Minor Transactions: 10/17/18
Lots of activity on the waiver wire today was followed by some minor moves, and we’ll keep track of all of them right here:
- The New York Islanders have sent Stephen Gionta back to the AHL now that Casey Cizikas is ready to return to action. Gionta recently cleared waivers after being signed by the Islanders, and will likely be a common call-up this season. The 35-year old forward played one game with New York, but will report to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to continue his professional career for now.
- Sheldon Rempal is on his way up to join the Los Angeles Kings after his outstanding start at the AHL level. The former Clarkson University forward has eight points through his first four professional games, and has impressed enough to be recalled to the NHL. The Kings have already had trouble scoring this season, and the 23-year old Rempal could add some offensive punch to the lineup if he can make it in.
- After being recalled yesterday to maximize the cap flexibility of placing Justin Schultz on long-term injured reserve, Jeff Taylor has been returned to the minor leagues by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The move was just a paper transaction to help the Penguins with their salary situation, and Taylor was never intended to play in the NHL at this point.
- Eamon McAdam has been returned to the minor leagues, indicating that Frederik Andersen is ready to get back on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Interestingly, McAdam has been sent to the AHL this time instead of the ECHL where he’d been playing, meaning Kasimir Kaskisuo is likely still out with the injury he suffered on the weekend. McAdam didn’t get into a game for the Maple Leafs, but was just a Garret Sparks injury away from making his NHL debut.
- Libor Sulak has been sent to the AHL by the Detroit Red Wings, despite the young defenseman playing relatively well in his first taste of NHL action. The Red Wings will activate Trevor Daley to take his spot, but there is a bright future for Sulak with the team.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled veteran Matt Read from the AHL to replace Matt Hendricks, who is headed for injured reserve. Read, 32, was signed to a one-year two-way contract in the summer but failed to make the club out of training camp. He’ll try to stake a claim to a fourth line spot while Hendricks is out, and show that he can still be a valuable NHL player.
Tampa Bay Lightning Extend Cory Conacher
In a very odd twist, the Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Cory Conacher to a one-year, one-way contract extension for 2019-20 worth $700K. The Lightning placed Conacher on waivers earlier today, and this actually may be their way of protecting him from being claimed by another team. Any team that wanted the veteran forward would need to take him with the extension in tow, something that may dissuade some from putting in a claim.
Conacher was first given a chance by the Lightning after being overlooked in the draft and during a solid college career. After bouncing around in the minor leagues he earned an entry-level deal in 2012 and ended up scoring 24 points in 35 games for the Lightning before being part of the trade that brought Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay. After more stops in Ottawa, Buffalo, New York and Switzerland, Conacher found his way back to the Lightning organization in 2016. In 36 games last season he scored 12 points, and was a valuable call-up that could fit into several different roles.
It’s hard to see a team claim him off waivers now that there is an extra year attached, though he still could provide some depth to various organizations around the league. If not, he’ll head to Syracuse where he will likely be the first call-up if Tampa Bay gets into injury trouble.
Detroit Red Wings Claim Jacob De La Rose
The Montreal Canadiens tried to find a trade partner in recent days to avoid losing Jacob de La Rose for nothing, but weren’t able to get a deal done. Today, exactly what they’d feared has happened as the Detroit Red Wings claimed de La Rose off waivers.
Still just 23 years old, de La Rose is a perfect example of a player needing a fresh start with a new organization. Selected 34th overall in 2013, he failed to turn into a full-time player for the Canadiens due to his lack of offensive growth, and was bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL for several seasons. Last year saw him play in a career-high 55 contests for Montreal, but with just 12 points to show for it there was little reason for optimism coming into 2018-19. Those doubts were only compounded when de La Rose suffered a cardiac episode near the end of training camp which held him out of the lineup, a minor condition that he has recovered from.
In Detroit, de La Rose will be tested to see if he can be a building block for the future. The Red Wings are not expected to contend for the playoffs this season, but are building an exciting young group of players that should turn things around over the next few years. Since he won’t turn 24 until May, there is certainly still time for de La Rose to prove that he can be a part of that turnaround, and in Detroit should get every chance to. The big, speedy winger is signed through 2019-20 with a cap hit of $900K.
J.T. Compher Out Indefinitely With Head Injury
The Colorado Avalanche added a young forward recently when they claimed Marko Dano off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets, and he may get an opportunity right away once his visa status is sorted out. That’s because the Avalanche will be without J.T. Compher indefinitely following a head injury, according to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver. Compher received what looked like a direct head shot from Sam Bennett on Saturday night, though it’s not clear if that’s exactly when the injury took place.
Compher, 23, was off to a great start for the Avalanche this season with three goals and four points in his first five games. After making his full-season debut last year, the Avalanche had inserted Compher as a key part of their forward group and a player to build around going forward. Finally some of the assets from the Ryan O’Reilly trade are paying off, and the 35th pick from 2013 is no exception.
Colorado impressed last season jumping all the way up the standings and into the playoffs, but they’ll need solid secondary scoring options to contribute if they’re to progress as an organization. Not all the scoring pressure can be placed on Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen forever, and Compher was expected to be one of those who took on some of the burden. After recorded 13 goals and 23 points last season, his quick start was encouraging and had earned him extra ice time in recent games. Now the team will have to find someone else to take those minutes, and hope that Compher can return before long without any long-term concussion effects.
Jacob De La Rose Placed On Waivers
The Montreal Canadiens knew they were heading towards a roster crunch, but weren’t able to trade away their problems in time. Today the team has placed Jacob de La Rose on waivers, and risk losing him to another organization. The 23-year old forward had been dealing with a minor health concern to start the year, but with his return to action along with the impending return of Nicolas Deslauriers, the team had to make a decision on who to send down. With only Jesperi Kotkaniemi still waiver-exempt among the forward group, de La Rose has drawn the short straw and will be available for claim. Stephen Gionta, the only player on waivers yesterday, has cleared for the New York Islanders.
There is certainly reason to believe that de La Rose will be claimed by someone around the league, given his relatively high draft pedigree and still youthful career. Selected 34th overall in 2013, there were plenty who believed the Swedish forward could develop into a solid two-way player capable of using his size and speed to create offense on a regular basis. That hasn’t happened at any level, with de La Rose recording his professional high of 31 points in a combined 71 games in 2016-17. He experienced a minor cardiac episode earlier this summer which has kept him out of the lineup, but it’s his on-ice performance that’s put him in a situation like this.
It’s hard not to like the package though, as de La Rose stands 6’3″ and can skate extremely well for his size. Any number of teams may believe that he represents an upgrade on their fourth line, and a worthwhile investment. There is of course the fact that he is signed to a two-year, one-way contract with a cap hit of $900K, something that teams may not want to take on with no guaranteed production. That might help the Canadiens slip him through waivers and allow them to send de La Rose to the minor leagues, at which point they would still owe him the full salary but his cap hit would be removed from their books.
Minor Transactions: 10/15/18
A new week of NHL action is on the docket, with four games set for tonight. Teams will need to adjust their roster for their next test, and we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have just one regulation win through their first four games, but seem to have gotten some good news today. The team has returned Tristan Jarry to the minor leagues after serving as an emergency call-up, and brought up recently waived Derek Grant to fill in. That surely means that Matt Murray is ready to return to action after suffering a concussion recently. Murray backed up Casey DeSmith this weekend, and is key to the Penguins’ hopes this season.
- Adam Gaudette has indeed been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks to replace Elias Pettersson on the roster, while the young forward deals with a concussion. Gaudette has four points in four games with the Utica Comets of the AHL this season, after signing and making his debut at the end of last year with the Canucks. The fifth-round pick is an exciting prospect for Vancouver, who dominated at the college level with Northeastern.
- After losing Marko Dano on waivers the Winnipeg Jets have activated Nic Petan from the non-roster list. Petan is still looking to break through and establish himself as a full-time NHL player with the Jets, but can’t seem to find much production thus far in his career. With Dano out of the way there is one less obstacle, but he’ll still need to improve his overall play.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Dylan Gambrell back to the AHL, in order to get the young forward on the ice. He hadn’t yet suited up with the Sharks, but will now get another chance to play with the San Jose Barracuda, where he scored three points in his debut this season. Gambrell is a very interesting prospect for the Sharks who was one of the top playmakers in the country at the collegiate level, but is still waiting on his first NHL point.
- The St. Louis Blues will inject some youth and energy into their lineup, swapping out a veteran grinder for a young power forward. CapFriendly reports that the team has reassigned Chris Thorburn, while recalling Zach Sanford. Thorburn, in his fourteenth season in the NHL, is a serviceable checking line player, but at 35 has slowed down significantly and is no longer much of a two-way threat. He had skated in just one game for the Blues so far this year. Meanwhile, Sanford did not play in the NHL last season, missing most of the year due to injury, but now healthy has looked impressive in training camp and through four games with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. In his rookie season with the Blues and Washington Capitals in 2017-18, Sanford scored at a pace comparable to the best seasons of Thorburn’s career and should be a noticeable offensive upgrade over the older forward.
- Joseph Blandisi has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks, CapFriendly reports. The former New Jersey Devils prospect played in three games for the Ducks last season, but hopes to stick around longer this year. Blandisi notched two assists in his first three games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls this season.