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Predators Could Test Young Prospects, Trust Andrew Brunette Amid Struggles

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The Nashville Predators are far from where they want to be after spending a heap to sign Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei this summer. The team sits at the bottom of the Central Division with a 4-7-1 record – one less win than the notably-rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. That led general manager Barry Trotz to hint that a complete teardown would follow continued failure, saying in an interview on Nashville’s 102.5 The Game on Tuesday, “I’m trying to do some things right now. We will be limited a little because of the contracts that we have… but if we don’t get it going, then I’m going to start our rebuild plan.”

Trotz went on to clarify the comments to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean earlier today, emphasizing that the team won’t, “burn it down to the studs”. Instead, any “rebuild” would be focused around finding space for the team’s young core. Trotz said, “if it doesn’t work, I’ve still got to buy the time for those young players.”

He went on to name roughly 10 players that he identifies as the team’s next-up. Per Daugherty, that list includes forwards Teddy Stiga, Reid Schaefer, Joakim Kemell, and Matthew Wood; and defenders Tanner Molendyk and Andrew Gibson. Trotz pointed out that the team is walking a fine line between trying to be competitive and trying to properly develop their youngsters, and pointed out that they could take out veterans down the depth chart to give prospects more of a chance. Most notably, Nashville is searching for a productive second-line center – a role that could one day be filled by Schaefer, Kemell, or Zachary L’Heureux.

The dozen players that Trotz mentioned are certainly a strong core to build around. The grouping – save for Wood, Molendyk, and Gibson – are currently driving the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals to clear success. The team is 8-1-0 through their first nine games, spurred by Kemell’s eight points in nine games, L’Heureux’s five points in four games, and Fedor Svechkov’s five points in five games. It’s a trio that’s found success time-and-time-again in Milwaukee, though L’Heureux’s seven appearances this year stand as the only NHL time among them all. The oft-undisciplined winger managed two assists and one penalty in those appearances – just low enough to fall out of Nashville’s lineup, despite being one of only 12 Predators with multiple points this season.

While they all still need to develop NHL-ready traits, Nashville’s prospect pool offers a large array of takeover ability. Molendyk’s ability to create pace and tempo through hard passes in the neutral zone made him a standout at this year’s training camp; while each of Kemell, Wood, and Schaefer have thrived on the back of hard shooting and gritty play along the boards. They’re translatable talents that Nashville should be reaping soon. At least, that’s Trotz’s full intention – as he emphasized to Daugherty that the last thing he wants to do is drag Predators fans through a long-term rebuild.

Trotz also pointed out that the head coach Andrew Brunette isn’t on the hot seat. Brunette led Nashville to a 47-30-5 record and first-round playoff exit last season, and has made his frustrations with the lack of cohesivity in the lineup known to the GM. Speaking on his head coach, Trotz said, “He’s saying ’I’ve got no one going right now.’… Nothing’s really working. You’re trying hard to find the magic potion and you get a little frustrated.”

Nashville’s new additions are struggling in their new setting. The trio of Stamkos, Skjei, and Marchessault are sitting at five, six, and seven points through 12 games respectively – far too little for the prices they were paid this summer. The depth isn’t fairing much better, with Philip Tomasino and Jeremy Lauzon (no scoring) being outscored by starting goaltender Juuse Saros (one assist). That’s led the team to a dismal record, and led Trotz to start turning his attention towards the young bloods. The team likely still sits a few steps away from fully leaning into their promising prospects, but continued struggles will force a hard decision sooner rather than later, and getting a chance to play alongside future Hall-of-Famers in Stamkos and Josi could be a cheeky way to accelerate their development.

Devils Fire AHL Head Coach Kevin Dineen, Promote Ryan Parent

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The New Jersey Devils have relieved Utica Comets head coach Kevin Dineen of his duties and promoted Ryan Parent as interim head coach for the remainder of the year, per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. Utica has lost each of their first nine games, only taking one to extra time. They’re being outscored 16-to-40 in the outings. New Jersey has also hired Eric Weinrich as an interim assistant coach.

It’s been a dismal start for the Devils’ affiliate. Only two players on the team are scoring at-or-above a point-per game pace – Nolan Foote, who has eight points in eight games, and Seamus Casey, with seven points in five games. Utica has struggled even with the pair’s production, with seven Comets still searching for their first point of the season and an additional nine looking for their second.

The early struggles were enough for New Jersey to call an early end to Dineen’s fourth season at the helm. He joined Utica in 2021-22, posting a hardy 43-20-9 record and earning the Comets a first-round bye in the postseason. But that didn’t help them much in the Division semifinals, with Utica falling to Rochester 3-2. Dineen returned Utica to the playoffs in the following year – though with a worser record of 35-27-10. That forced them to participate in the first-round play-in, where they beat Laval 2-0, but Utica again failed to work past the Division semifinals – this time falling to Toronto 3-1. The pair of playoff losses highlighted Dineen’s slide, and he’d fail to lead Utica to the postseason for a third time last year – continuing to slip with a 32-29-11 record.

Dineen’s struggles have hit a peak this year, and he’ll now be replaced by another former pro player in Ryan Parent. Parent – a 2005 first-round pick who played in 251 career AHL games across 10 seasons – joined the Devils organization as an AHL coach in 2018, when the team was still affiliated with the Binghamton Devils. He joined the organization’s move to Utica in 2021 – staying a reliable feature of the Devils’ prospect development.

In speaking on Parent’s promotion, Utica general manager Dan MacKinnon said, “In his seven years with our AHL affiliate, Ryan Parent has established a track record of transparently communicating with young players and teaching good habits, while drawing on his own playing experiences… Those characteristics will serve him well in this new role where he will need to develop, lead, and relate to players at all different stages of their pro hockey careers.” MacKinnon also noted that New Jersey felt the need to make a change while the season was still young.

Flyers Place Ryan Poehling On IR, Recall Anthony Richard

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The Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Ryan Poehling, retroactive to Saturday November 2nd. The details of Poehling’s injury weren’t revealed, though he didn’t join the Flyers on their three-game road trip that started on Tuesday due to personal reasons. Philadelphia hosts San Jose on Monday, November 11th – which will stand as Poehling’s next chance to return to the lineup.

Poehling appeared in all 12 of Philadelphia’s games before Tuesday, recording five assists, six penalty minutes, and 21 shot attempts while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. He’s searching for his footing this season after establishing a routine, middle-six role in his first season with the Flyers last year. Poehling earned 11 goals and 28 points in 77 games in that role. He also carried the heftiest faceoff responsibility of his career, winning 461 of 938 draws – good for a 49.1 faceoff-percentage, third-highest among Flyers centers. While his start to this season has been slow-coming, Poehling still leaves a noticeable hole in a struggling Flyers’ bottom-six.

In a corresponding move, the Flyers have also recalled centerman Anthony Richard from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Richard is in his first year with the Flyers organization, continuing his string of one-year tenures after spending the last three seasons in tenures with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, and Boston Bruins organizations. Lehigh Valley has proven Richard’s best sparring grounds so far though, where he currently sits with a team-leading nine points in seven games. He’s pulled the thread of top-end minor-league scoring through yet another season, after netting 55 points in 59 games last season and 67 points in 60 games in 2022-23.

Richard not only stands as one of Lehigh Valley’s hottest scorers, but also one of the longest-tenured veterans in the program. He boasts 309 points across 488 games and 10 seasons in the AHL, adding eight points – split evenly – in 24 career NHL games. This season is standing as a career-year for Richard, marking the highest production of his career – on pace for 92 points across a full AHL season. He could now get a chance to carry that momentum into the NHL, but he’ll need to earn a lineup spot first. Philadelphia is currently utilizing Noah Cates and Nicolas Deslauriers to fill Poehling’s vacancy at fourth-line center. Cates has posted an impressive 57.1 faceoff-percentage on 63 draws this season – which should be enough to hold down the role in the face of new pressure from Richard.

Stefan Noesen Providing Devils With Thriving Depth

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The New Jersey Devils have begun righting their ship after finishing second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division last year. They’re now second from the top, boasting a stout 8-5-2 through the early season. That resurgence has largely been inspired by Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton returning to full health, and Jacob Markstrom finally bringing legitimacy to the Devils’ crease – but New Jersey has pulled one more ace from up their sleeves. Through the addition of Stefan Noesen and Paul Cotter, New Jersey has transformed a muddied bottom-six into one of the league’s best.

The impact of Noesen’s hot start can’t be understated. The Devils’ success has always been rooted in strong bottom-six glue guys – but the team has struggled to find a suitable boost after the departures of the likes of Pavel Zacha, Michael McLeod, and Yegor Sharangovich. Hot-and-cold performances from Erik Haula and Alexander Holtz spurred the team last year, but it was little momentum in the face of multiple key injuries.

Enter now Noesen, who’s had the wind behind his sails for three seasons, kicked off by a starring role with the 2021-22 Chicago Wolves. In what was the 10th season of an otherwise lackluster minor-league career, Noesen posted 48 goals and 85 points in 70 games in the regular season, then added 25 points in 18 playoff games to push Chicago all the way to the Calder Cup Championship. That championship-winning leadership earned Noesen a promotion to Chicago’s on-again-off-again affiliate the Carolina Hurricanes for 2022-23.

Noesen continued to thrive at the top flight, potting 36 points and 37 points – both career-highs – respectively across the last two seasons with the Canes. He earned nearly all of those points through hard-nosed and high-tempo drives into the low-slot, where he was able to routinely win space and bury loose pucks. That crash-the-net style is now excelling on Sheldon Keefe’s Devils, where Noesen is flanked by the gritty Cotter and the shoot-first Haula – giving him space to operate as a strong second-man-in. While Cotter – who’s own hot start is also a main factor in New Jersey’s success – fights for the puck in the corner, Noesen is able to set up camp in the slot while Haula provides high-zone coverage.

It’s a chemistry that simply makes sense. But the effects of such a well-matched line are working to peak effect while the likes of Hughes, Timo Meier, and Dawson Mercer each find their top-notch scoring once again. Noesen has 13 points through 15 games in New Jersey. Nine of those points have come at even-strength. And while that production (a 71-point pace across 82 games) likely isn’t sustainable, it’ll serve as the underpinning of New Jersey’s success this season. The Devils are still waiting for all of their engines to fire, but the third line is working to full effect – and Noesen and Cotter are quickly proving two of the most impactful new additions across the league.

Noesen signed a three-year, $8.25MM contract with New Jersey on July 1st. The deal will take him through his age-34 season – and is already looking like a steal just 15 games in. After a journeyman career that started with a first-round selection in 2011 and proceeded with trips with seven NHL teams and six AHL teams – Noesen has finally found his footing at the pro level. He’s proven a capable scorer and an even better forechecker – both traits the Devils’ depth chart was sorely lacking. Sometimes it’s best not to mess with a good thing, and New Jersey is now faced with a chance to embrace a well-constructed and ever-efficient third-line. If it holds, the trio could be the piece that propels New Jersey into a long run next summer.

Bruins Place Max Jones On Waivers

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Nov. 6: Jones cleared waivers, per Friedman. He’s on his way to the AHL.

Nov. 5: The Bruins have placed winger Max Jones on waivers with intentions to assign him to AHL Providence, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Tuesday.

Jones, 26, is in the first season of a two-year, $2MM contract he signed with Boston over the summer after being non-tendered by the Ducks. Despite his seven-figure cap hit, he’s played sparingly this season. He’s been scratched for nine out of the Bruins’ 13 games this season, including their back-to-back contests against the Flyers and Kraken over the weekend. When dressed, he’s averaged 11:13 per game and has no points and a -4 rating. His possession numbers have been abysmal – the Bruins control just 29.7% of shot attempts and 14.3% of expected goals with Jones on the ice at even strength.

With Tyler Johnson now in the fold after finally inking a one-year, league-minimum deal yesterday following a months-long stint on a professional tryout, there was likely a corresponding roster move coming. It wasn’t out of necessity – Boston was at the 23-man roster limit with no rush to open space – but they’ve only carried one extra forward and one extra defenseman this season. Given that Jones ranks last on the team in nearly every meaningful statistic, it’s no surprise that he hit the wire.

If Jones clears waivers, it would mark his first AHL assignment in five years. The Anaheim 2016 first-round pick last played for their AHL affiliate in San Diego in the 2018-19 campaign.

All of Jones’ 31 career goals and 62 career points have come in a Ducks jersey. He made 258 regular-season appearances for the team over six years before being let go in June.

The Bruins will clear Jones’ $1MM cap hit tomorrow, regardless of whether he’s claimed. If he makes it through waivers and is subsequently assigned to Providence, that cap hit is below the $1.15MM maximum buriable threshold, so it won’t count against Boston’s books. He’s still under contract through the 2025-26 campaign and will be an unrestricted free agent upon expiry.

Sharks Activate, Waive Lucas Carlsson

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The Sharks have activated defenseman Lucas Carlsson from season-opening injured reserve and subsequently placed him on waivers for the purposes of assignment to AHL San Jose, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Carlsson, 27, joined the Sharks in free agency on a two-year, two-way deal. The Swedish blue-liner had spent the previous three seasons in the Panthers organization, spending most of his time there on assignment to AHL Charlotte aside from an extended 40-game run on the NHL roster in 2021-22.

His NHL journey began with the Blackhawks, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2016. He spent two post-draft seasons with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League before arriving in North America, suiting up with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford.

Carlsson spent three seasons in the Blackhawks organization, recording two assists in 18 appearances before he was traded to Florida in April 2021. In total, he added 42 appearances to his career NHL tally with the Panthers, bringing his career stats to three goals and eight assists for 11 points with a +6 rating in 60 games, averaging 12:50 per contest with a 53.0 CF%.

At the minor-league level, the left-shot defender is a premier two-way threat. He led the league in goals by a defenseman in 2022-23 with 20 in 61 games, and he earned a spot in the AHL All-Star Classic last season amid a 15-goal, 39-point season in 52 contests with Charlotte that was cut short by injuries.

There could be some interest in him on the waiver wire given that offensive AHL pedigree and decent possession metrics in his brief NHL minutes. Having another year left on his contract could be a significant enough deterrent to sway away potential claimers, though.

While he’ll start the season in the minors, Carlsson will likely be among the Sharks’ chief call-up options if injuries strike the back end. He’ll be a major boon to an AHL San Jose club that’s already near the top of their division.

Capitals Activate Matt Roy From Injured Reserve

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12:40 p.m.: The Capitals confirmed Roy’s activation and also said that Iorio had been sent down.

9:24 a.m.: Capitals defenseman Matt Roy was a full participant in practice Wednesday and projects to return tonight against the Predators after missing the last 10 games with a lower-body injury, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports. Washington has a full 23-player active roster and must make a corresponding transaction to activate him from injured reserve. That will likely be reassigning waiver-exempt defenseman Vincent Iorio, who’s been a healthy scratch twice since being summoned last weekend, to AHL Hershey.

Roy, 29, sustained the injury at some point during the first period of his Capitals debut against the Devils on Oct. 12. He did not skate in the second or third periods after recording a -2 rating and two shots on goal in 8:39 of ice time in the first. Initially ruled as day-to-day, he remained out of the lineup for two weeks before landing on IR on Oct. 28 to open up roster space.

It was an inauspicious start to Roy’s tenure in Washington after signing a six-year, $34.5MM contract in free agency to serve as their No. 2 right-shot defenseman behind John Carlson. He’ll now get the chance to be an impact shutdown player as advertised on a Capitals team that’s far exceeded expectations in the first few weeks of the season, sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference with a .727 points percentage (8-3-0).

The 2015 seventh-round pick had been a legitimate needle-mover in the Kings’ top four for the past few years before reaching unrestricted free agency. Last season was some of his best work. Skating on Los Angeles’ second pairing alongside Vladislav Gavrikov, Roy notched a career-high 20 assists in 81 games with a +21 rating, averaging 20:54 per game. He led the Kings in blocks (197) and finished second in hits (152), leveraging his 6’1″, 205-lb frame while controlling 52.9% of shot attempts at even strength.

Oilers Reassign Noah Philp

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With the news of Connor McDavid’s earlier-than-anticipated return to the lineup tonight, the Oilers announced they’ve reassigned center Noah Philp to AHL Bakersfield. They’re no longer carrying an extra forward and have two open roster spots.

Philp, 26, made his NHL debut in McDavid’s absence. The Alberta native skated in all three games that Edmonton was without McDavid, centering the club’s fourth line between Corey Perry and Drake Caggiula, who was sent back to Bakersfield yesterday.

The 6’3″, 198-lb pivot didn’t look out of place, especially for a player who sat out the 2023-24 season entirely. He recorded his first NHL point, an assist, and recorded a +1 rating while averaging 10:13 per game and going 14-for-29 in the faceoff circle (48.3 FO%). The Oilers didn’t control shot attempts with Philp on the ice at even strength but did manage to come out on top in terms of possession quality, controlling 56% of expected goals.

Philp, the younger brother of Capitals minor-league forward Luke Philp, landed with the Oilers in 2022 out of the University of Alberta. He landed an NHL contract despite playing just eight combined regular-season games over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons due to COVID-19 and injuries. Bakersfield made him a regular in the AHL lineup out of the gate, recording 19 goals and 37 points in 70 games in 2022-23.

After the season, ex-Oilers general manager Ken Holland said Philp had informed the team he was retiring due to personal reasons. However, a few days later, they issued him a qualifying offer to retain his signing rights, and Philp evidently never filed official retirement paperwork with the league. Still technically a restricted free agent this past offseason, he returned to the Oilers organization by inking a two-way deal ($775K/$90K) on July 1.

Philp earned a long look in training camp, and Edmonton waited until the day before opening night rosters were due to cut him from the roster. He got his first NHL call-up after scoring twice with a +2 rating in six games for Bakersfield to start the season. Considering he’ll remain waiver-exempt this season if he plays fewer than 60 NHL games, he’ll likely get another chance on the roster whenever another injury strikes the Oilers’ forward group.

Dylan Holloway Not Expected To Miss Time After Neck Injury

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Nov. 6: While Holloway didn’t skate today, he’s been discharged from the hospital and told reporters he intends to play against Utah tomorrow (via Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network Midwest). He relayed that doctors barred him from activity for 24 hours after the injury but made no determination on his status past that. Holloway added that the puck struck him in the Vagus nerve, a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which caused him to become lightheaded (per Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

Nov. 5: St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway suffered a scary injury tonight in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and left on a stretcher (as per Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic). Holloway was hit in the neck area in the first period of the game when a Nick Paul shot appeared to be deflected directly up and into Holloway.

Initially, there was no cause for concern as Holloway joined teammate Jordan Kyrou on an offensive rush into the Lightning zone. The Blues didn’t score on the play but maintained possession for a moment before Holloway completed his shift and went back to the Blues bench. On his return to the bench, Holloway appeared to be uncomfortable as he moved his head from side to side and took a seat on the bench. A few minutes later, Blues personnel and players began to call over medics while the team’s athletic trainer propped up Holloway’s head. He was put on a stretcher and wheeled back into the Blues dressing room.

The first period was called with 1:11 remaining on the clock as both teams exited the bench area.

In the second period, St. Louis public address announcer Tom Calhoun told those in attendance at Enterprise Center that Holloway was alert and stable and was on his way to the hospital for further monitoring.

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