Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for October 2022

New York Rangers Recall Julien Gauthier

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New York Rangers will be headed out on the road for the next three games, and have called up an extra forward for the trip, recalling Julien Gauthier. With Filip Chytil out for a little while, the team had just 12 healthy forwards on the active roster so have added another one for the time being.

There were also concerns about Mika Zibanejad and Vitali Kravtsov, who both looked to have suffered minor injuries during last night’s game, though neither one has been addressed by the team. The Rangers will start their trip with a visit to Belmont Park to face the New York Islanders, before heading to Dallas and Arizona on the weekend.

Gauthier, 25, has scored twice in four games with the Hartford Wolf Pack this season after clearing waivers earlier this month, and appears to have lost all of the prospect shine he once had. The big, fast winger has shown flashes of brilliance over the years but lacks any kind of offensive consistency needed to become a top-nine regular in the NHL. In 49 games last season with the Rangers he scored just three goals and seven points, and it’s hard to see him becoming an impact player with them at this point.

Still, he is a nice depth piece to bring up for injury insurance as the team tries to right the ship. After a strong start, the Rangers have lost three in a row including a 5-1 defeat against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a divisional opponent.

Kieffer Bellows Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The New York Islanders have placed former top prospect Kieffer Bellows on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Bellows, 24, has played in only a single game for the Islanders this season, registering three hits and no shots on goal in just over seven minutes of ice time. While he obviously isn’t in the plan at the NHL level right now, his placement on waivers will still come as a shock to many who have been waiting for him to take the next step in his career.

Selected 19th overall in 2016, the high-energy winger went to Boston University for one season before deciding to leave school and join the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. In that league he was incredibly dominant, scoring 41 goals in 56 regular season games, often skating beside Cody Glass. Upon reaching the minor leagues the next season he continued his goal-scoring, tickling the twine 34 times over two seasons. He also racked up 150 penalty minutes in his 125 AHL contests, including four fighting majors.

That kind of player seemed perfectly suited for life with the Islanders, who were focused on “identity” and toughness, but it was difficult to crack the lineup. Last season it appeared as though Bellows had finally done it, scoring six goals and 19 points in 45 NHL games. That led to a one-year, $1.2MM contract this summer, another sign that the Islanders were committed to using the young forward on a regular basis.

The press box has been the regular stop for Bellows early on, and now waivers will likely mean he’s on to a new destination or headed for a familiar one. He stands as an interesting candidate to be claimed, though the $1.2MM contract (and qualifying offer next summer) could stand in the way for some teams struggling with cap issues. If he clears, one would expect him to be sent back to Bridgeport where he can at least get on the ice.

Toronto Maple Leafs Move Muzzin To LTIR; Clifford To IR

at CDT | by 5 Comments

October 26: Muzzin has now been placed on LTIR retroactive to October 18, according to CapFriendly. The soonest Muzzin would be eligible to return to the Leafs’ lineup is now November 11, meaning they’ll be without him for at least the next two weeks. Kyle Clifford has also been moved to regular injured reserve, with Filip Kral recalled, filling his roster spot.

October 19: After their minor league club signed Danny DeKeyser to a PTO earlier today, the Toronto Maple Leafs have brought up another AHL defenseman to the active roster. Filip Kral has been recalled, as the team moves Jake Muzzin to injured reserve. Muzzin is out with a neck injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

Kral, meanwhile, could be looking at his first NHL game should he get into the lineup. The 22-year-old defenseman was a fifth-round pick of the team in 2018 and has developed nicely over the years, to the point of being one of the final cuts this fall. The 6’2″ Czech-born defender played three seasons in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs, before returning home to play another year overseas.

Last season, he posted 21 points in 58 games during his first full season with the Toronto Marlies, and now he’s an NHL call-up just a week into the schedule. As David Alter of Sports Illustrated notes, Jordie Benn and Timothy Liljegren are both joining the Maple Leafs’ practice today, though neither can be removed from LTIR until November 5.

That means a little bit of runway for Kral, though it seems likely that Victor Mete will get the first crack with the main group tomorrow night.

Vancouver Canucks Place Curtis Lazar, Brock Boeser On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The nightmare season for the Vancouver Canucks continues, this time with two regular forwards headed to injured reserve. Curtis Lazar and Brock Boeser have been moved to IR, with the team recalling William Lockwood and Sheldon Dries in their place.

Boeser was listed as out day-to-day on Monday, so his move to IR is a little curious. The 25-year-old is off to a brutal start to the season (like so many other Canucks), with no goals in his first six games. While he does have four points, Boeser has always been his best when he’s putting the puck in the net, and this year he has only generated nine shots on goal.

Perhaps that is because of this injury, as he did receive a “maintenance” day earlier in the week as well before they called it an injury. General manager Patrik Allvin told reporters including Harman Dayal of The Athletic that Boeser is still considered day-to-day, though did not speculate when he will be able to return.

Lazar meanwhile played in Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, playing 11:09 and registering two shots and two hits. Allvin did not give the specific injury but noted that he is expected to miss three to four weeks.

The depth forward has turned into an energy and penalty-killing option for the Canucks, after having his best professional season with the Boston Bruins last year. Still, given how little upside he offers offensively and his rather pedestrian short-handed performance so far, losing him from the lineup shouldn’t weaken the overall chances for the Canucks very much.

Still, as they whittle away at their depth, it’s only going to be more difficult to dig themselves out of the 0-5-2 hole they are in to start the year. While the front office doesn’t want to rebuild, it does seem like the Canucks are headed for a finish a lot closer to the first-overall pick than the Stanley Cup.

Josh Norris Out Several Months

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Oct 26: The results of the MRI are not what any Senators fan wanted to hear. Ian Mendes of TSN reports that Norris will be out long-term (three to five months was a rough estimate), though surgery has not been confirmed yet. Head coach D.J. Smith is not confident that the young forward will even play again this season, though he is holding out hope.

Oct 24: The Ottawa Senators will be without one of their top centers for at least the next two weeks. Josh Norris will miss that time after suffering a shoulder injury over the weekend, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, who adds that the young forward is waiting on the results of an MRI before getting a more accurate timeline.

Ottawa moved Derick Brassard into the second-line center role, for the time being, quite an opportunity for a player on a PTO just a few weeks ago. He’ll line up between Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux, though the team could always move Shane Pinto into that role during Norris’ absence.

It’s a tough start for the 23-year-old Norris, who is coming off a breakout 35-goal campaign and starting an eight-year, $63.6MM contract. Norris did score against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday but ended up playing just 14:32. Missing a couple of weeks isn’t the end of the world, but if the injury is deemed more serious and keeps Norris out for longer than that, it could be a huge blow to an Ottawa team that has turned things around after a slow start.

With wins in each of their last three, the Senators are now back in the mix in the Atlantic Division, exactly what they expected after an impressive offseason. Their potential was always tied to the forward depth they accumulated but now with Norris on the sideline and Alex Formenton still unsigned, there are some cracks showing.

The team is back in action tonight against the Dallas Stars.

Philadelphia Flyers Acquire Evan Barratt

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks are busy today. After already completing one minor trade with the Montreal Canadiens, the Blackhawks have sent Evan Barratt to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Cooper Zech. The pair of young players will each report to their new minor league affiliates.

Barratt, 23, was a third-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2017 and has spent the last two seasons in the minor leagues after signing his entry-level contract. That contract expires at the end of this season and it is obvious that the new Chicago front office is focused on changing the entire organizational depth chart. The young forward was rather successful last year, with 28 points in 63 games, but hadn’t scored yet in his first two matches with Rockford this year.

He’ll join Lehigh Valley and try to prove to his new organization that he deserves a qualifying offer at the end of the year. Like the earlier trade, which sent Nicolas Beaudin back to where he grew up, Barratt is also headed home. The Bristol, Pennsylvania native played three years at Penn State and now gets a chance to play in front of friends and family once again.

Zech, meanwhile, is an undrafted defenseman that signed with the Flyers in 2021 after playing a few years on AHL contracts with the Providence Bruins. The 23-year-old is the kind of undersized player that can only climb the ladder by putting up big offensive numbers, but unfortunately only had 11 points in 53 games last season for Lehigh Valley.

While he may be a fine depth piece for Rockford, this is another player that could potentially be non-tendered by the Blackhawks at the end of the year. It should be noted that with so many draft picks coming into the organization, Chicago will need to keep contract slots to sign them open over the next few years. The moves today allow two players that are buried on the depth chart go play near their hometown, and hopefully make a bigger impact than they were ever going to have in Chicago.

Montreal Canadiens Acquire Nicolas Beaudin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens have completed another trade that will see a former first-round pick head north. Nicolas Beaudin, selected 27th overall in 2018 by the Blackhawks, has been traded to Montreal in exchange for Cameron Hillis.

Similar to the move for Kirby Dach, this brings a struggling former top prospect to Montreal where he will likely get a better opportunity. Beaudin, 23, has played 22 games in the NHL but had obviously been passed by other young defensemen in the Chicago system. He cleared waivers earlier this month and was playing with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.

With the Canadiens, there’s at least a chance that Beaudin can make good on some of his potential and help them fill out the NHL lineup at some point down the road. The team did send Corey Schueneman to the AHL today, opening a roster spot, but are expecting Joel Edmundson back soon to fill it.

Of course, this is also an example of the Canadiens bringing in another hometown kid, as Beaudin is from Châteauguay, a Montreal suburb. He was a star for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL as a junior player and should be extremely excited about the move.

Hillis, meanwhile, is a third-round pick of the Canadiens from 2018 that has had a very odd professional career so far. Last season, when the team was struggling with injuries, Hillis was brought up straight from the ECHL to make his NHL debut. He was back in the ECHL this season and looks like he might be a potential non-tender candidate for the Blackhawks unless he finds a new level of play with Rockford, where he will initially report.

Mostly, this deal looks like it was made to find a new home for a young player buried in the depth chart, one that the Blackhawks had no intention of using.

Corey Schueneman Assigned To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s not often that you see a team send their extra defenseman down to the minor leagues before heading out on a road trip, unless of course, they are getting someone back from injury. That’s why there was instant excitement among Montreal Canadiens fans when the team announced that Corey Schueneman has been assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

The team is about to head out on the road and with them will be both Joel Armia and Joel Edmundson, though there still isn’t a concrete timeline on when they’ll be in the lineup. Neither player appears on the active roster currently, though Edmundson does not have an injured reserve designation any longer. The Canadiens will play in Buffalo tomorrow to kick off a four-game road trip where it seems likely that one, if not both, will return.

Edmundson, 29, has become something of a fan favorite in Montreal thanks to his stability and physicality on defense. He was an integral part of the team’s unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 but has been in and out of the lineup ever since due to injury. Last season he managed to play in just 24 games, and his return on the upcoming road trip will be his season debut for 2022-23.

While this season may not be about winning a championship, you can bet that Montreal still wants to have Edmundson in the lineup around their young defensemen as much as possible. A Stanley Cup winner in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, he can help them make the transition to the NHL while providing a reliable model to emulate on the defensive end. Edmundson was named an alternate captain before the season began, and is signed through 2023-24.

Brandon Davidson Signs AHL PTO

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Rochester Americans are bringing back a familiar face, signing Brandon Davidson to a professional tryout agreement. Davidson spent last season with the team while on a one-year, two-way contract with the Buffalo Sabres but was not re-signed this summer.

Now 31, Davidson’s time in the NHL appears to be over. The veteran defenseman has played just 28 games at that level since the start of the 2018-19 season, and spent all of last year in the minor leagues. Once a relatively effective bottom-pairing option that could bring defense and physicality to the table, he should no longer be considered an NHL-level player.

Still, that doesn’t mean he can’t be effective at the AHL level. Davidson is expected to meet the team for games this weekend. If he proves healthy and in shape, it’s easy to see the Americans extending him a full-season contract to add another veteran presence to the back end. A deal like this does not mean he can be recalled to the Sabres – he would need to sign an NHL contract for that to happen.

Latest On Barry Trotz

at CDT | by 9 Comments

After recusing himself from the coaching carousel last season, one of the best coaches in NHL history could return his name into consideration next season. Former Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz told NHL.com today that he’s not quite ready yet to return to coaching, but the idea of coaching an Original Six franchise would spark “intrigue” for the veteran coach.

Speaking on his timeline on whether or not Trotz would return to coaching, he gave the following explanation:

I think probably to get everything settled, I’m going to be into early December before I feel comfortable (that) I’ve got family stuff in control and after that, I’m probably going to have to take a little break, a week or two, to maybe go somewhere warm in the winter, and then after that…

Trotz nearly got his first experience coaching a Canadian team this season, presenting as a finalist for the Winnipeg Jets’ head coaching vacancy before ultimately deciding that he wouldn’t coach anywhere during 2022-23. The 60-year-old coach is enjoying some well-earned time with his family after 23 straight seasons behind an NHL bench.

In terms of Original Six teams that Trotz could head to, there’s really only one feasible option for next year: the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Boston Bruins are already off to a strong start under new head coach Jim Montgomery; the same could be said for the Chicago Blackhawks and Luke Richardson and the Detroit Red Wings and Derek Lalonde. It doesn’t seem like the New York Rangers or Montreal Canadiens would be willing to part ways with Gerard Gallant or Martin St. Louis after impressive coaching stints, either. Keefe is the longest-tenured out of all six, and after a continued pattern of playoff losses, a wholesale change could be on its way to Toronto this offseason.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top