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Archives for December 2023

Red Wings Assign Jonatan Berggren And Austin Czarnik To AHL

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Earlier today, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that both Joe Veleno and Christian Fischer will return to the lineup tomorrow against Boston.  With Fischer being on injured reserve, at least one player would likely be sent back down.  Instead, Detroit has opted to send two players down in corresponding moves as CapFriendly reports (Twitter links) that both Jonatan Berggren and Austin Czarnik have been assigned to AHL Grand Rapids.

Berggren was a regular with Detroit for most of last season, getting into 67 games with the big club where he acquitted himself relatively well, notching 15 goals and 13 assists while logging 13:28 per game.  But after GM Steve Yzerman added several pieces up front over the summer, Berggren found himself on the outside looking in at a regular roster spot and was assigned to Grand Rapids at the start of the season.

In the minors, the 23-year-old has been quite productive, picking up seven goals and 11 assists in just 19 contests.  That has helped Berggren earn six separate recalls over the last two months which has resulted in nine appearances with the Red Wings.  Despite limited playing time in those contests (just 10:08 per contest), he has been fairly productive, tallying a pair of goals along with three assists.  He’ll likely be a top recall option when the next injury arises in Detroit.

As for Czarnik, the 31-year-old has played in 18 games with the Red Wings this season despite clearing waivers twice already.  While he has typically been quite productive in the minors, that hasn’t carried over to the NHL this season as he has just one assist in those appearances.  Meanwhile, in nine games with the Griffins, Czarnik has three goals and four assists.

Meanwhile, the return of Fischer from injured reserve tomorrow will be a welcome one.  The 26-year-old has been a regular on Detroit’s fourth line this season, playing in 33 games where he has eight points and 39 hits while logging a little less than 11 minutes per night.  He has been out since just before the holiday break with an undisclosed injury.

Oilers Recall Raphael Lavoie, Assign Ben Gleason To AHL

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The Oilers have opted to make a pair of moves before tonight’s game versus Los Angeles.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled forward Raphael Lavoie from AHL Bakersfield while sending blueliner Ben Gleason to the Condors.

Lavoie opted to accept his qualifying offer this summer worth just over $874K over signing a lower-cost one-way deal or two-way pact with more guaranteed money.  He hoped that he’d land the final roster spot in training camp which would ultimately get him more in the long run.

But that didn’t quite work as planned as Edmonton waived the 23-year-old in training camp and after he cleared, assigned him to Bakersfield.  He has been quite productive with the Condors so far, notching 10 goals in just 19 games, picking up where left off on that front last year.  Lavoie also got into six games with Edmonton last month on a pair of recalls; he was held off the scoresheet in those contests while averaging 7:36 per game.  If he plays in four more games with the Oilers, he will need to pass through waivers once again.

As for Gleason, he cleared waivers in training camp and spent the first two months of the years with the Condors where he did well, picking up nine points in 14 games, earning him a recall three weeks ago.  However, the 25-year-old has been a healthy scratch in every game since then so this assignment will at least give him a chance to get some games in.  Gleason is in the first season of a two-year deal after coming over in free agency from Dallas with his contract converting to a one-way agreement next season.

Ian Mitchell Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Mitchell has cleared waivers, Friedman reports, paving the way for him to be sent back to Providence, a move they quickly made.

Friday: The Bruins placed defenseman Ian Mitchell on waivers Friday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Boston has ferried Mitchell up and down between the NHL and AHL frequently throughout this season, his first in the Bruins organization. This is his second time on the waiver wire since the regular season began, last clearing on October 26. Given that he’s now played more than ten games in Boston since then, he will need to clear them again to head to AHL Providence.

Most recently, the Bruins brought Mitchell up from Providence under emergency conditions on December 23, and he logged 10:50 of ice time and recorded a +1 rating in that night’s 3-2 loss to the Wild. Boston converted his recall into a standard one the following day. He was a healthy scratch in their lone game since the holiday break, a win over the Sabres on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old right-shot defender has played in 13 games for the Bruins on the season, logging replacement-level stats in replacement-level minutes. He’s recorded two assists, a +6 rating, and a mediocre Corsi share of 46.6% at even strength while averaging 15:18 per game. He’s also made four appearances for the P-Bruins this season, recording an assist and a -4 rating. The 2017 second-round pick of the Blackhawks joined the Bruins in June when his signing rights were part of the trade for winger Taylor Hall, promptly inking a one-year, one-way deal worth the league minimum of $775K.

Mitchell has always been a strong skater and was a high-end point producer in college, but he hasn’t shown the all-around game worthy of an NHL defender throughout his four seasons of experience at the top level. He’s never eclipsed the 40-game mark in a single season and has yet to avoid an AHL assignment, only earning NHL jobs as the sixth or seventh defenseman on the Blackhawks’ and Bruins’ depth charts at the highest. He lands on the waiver wire today with four goals, 14 assists and 18 points with a -15 rating over 95 NHL games.

It’s unlikely another team will submit a claim for Mitchell over the next 24 hours since he’s already gone unclaimed once this season. He will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration eligibility next summer.

Islanders Place Ryan Pulock On LTIR, Assign Ken Appleby To AHL

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The Islanders have made a pair of roster moves in advance of tomorrow’s game against Pittsburgh.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve moved defenseman Ryan Pulock to LTIR and assigned goaltender Ken Appleby to AHL Bridgeport.

Pulock has been out with a lower-body injury since December 8th, meaning he has already missed the majority of the 10 games and 24 days that he’s required to be out for with this placement; he’d be eligible to be activated as soon as Tuesday’s game in Colorado.  The fact they’re going this route suggests he should be out at least a little longer than that.

While Pulock’s placement doesn’t open up a roster spot, it does expand their LTIR pool, giving GM Lou Lamoriello more short-term flexibility to manage his roster without having to be worried about salary cap considerations.

As for Appleby, he has been back and forth from Bridgeport in recent days with Semyon Varlamov missing the last couple of games with an undisclosed injury.  His demotion opens up a roster spot and if Varlamov is good to at least dress as the backup for tomorrow’s game, the Islanders will likely look to bring a defenseman up from the AHL as they’ve been carrying just six in recent days.

Avalanche Assign Sam Malinski To AHL

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Following their victory over St. Louis on Friday night, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they re-assigned defenseman Sam Malinski to AHL Colorado.

The 25-year-old is in his first professional season after signing with the Avs as a college free agent back in March.  Malinski had been up with the big club for the past month and had been a regular player for most of that stretch, suiting up in 14 games, including against the Blues.  In those appearances, he held his own, picking up five points along with 15 blocked shots while averaging a little over 14 minutes a night.  With the Eagles, meanwhile, he has three goals and six assists in 17 games.

With that in mind, it might seem a bit curious that Colorado would opt to send Malinski down.  However, he was the only waiver-exempt blueliner on their roster, making him the logical choice to be sent down to ensure they keep as much depth as possible.

While Colorado didn’t announce a corresponding roster move, Malinski’s demotion likely will mark the return of Samuel Girard.  He took a leave from the team last month to enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program but has since rejoined the club.  Now, with a few practices under his belt, it appears as if he’ll be ready to return and be activated into the roster spot cleared by sending Malinski down.

Blackhawks Place Taylor Raddysh On IR, Recall Boris Katchouk

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The Blackhawks have made a pair of roster moves this morning as the team announced that they’ve placed winger Taylor Raddysh on injured reserve with a left groin strain.  Taking his place on the roster will be winger Boris Katchouk who has been recalled from AHL Rockford.

Raddysh was a bright spot on Chicago’s offense last season, putting up 20 goals and 17 assists in 78 games in his first season of being a full-fledged regular after coming over from Tampa Bay in 2022.  That was good for a tie for fourth in team scoring.  However, production has been harder to come by this year as the 25-year-old has been limited to just five goals and five assists through 35 games so far despite logging over 16 minutes a night in playing time.  Those numbers will stay put for the time being as with the placement, Raddysh will be out for at least the next week after being injured in the first period last night against Dallas.

As for Katchouk, he came to Chicago in the same swap as Raddysh but hasn’t had the same level of success.  He had 16 points in 58 games last season and was with the Blackhawks for the first couple of months of the year, notching two goals and two helpers in 17 contests before clearing waivers earlier this month.  Since then, he has played in six games with the IceHogs, picking up three tallies and two assists.  He can play in ten games or be up for 30 days before needing to go through waivers once again.

Blues Recall Matt Kessel

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With Justin Faulk suffering a lower-body injury last night that will keep him out of the lineup tonight against Pittsburgh, the Blues have brought up a replacement.  The team announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Matt Kessel from AHL Springfield.

The 23-year-old was a fifth-round pick by St. Louis back in 2020, going 150th overall.  He has spent the full season so far with the Thunderbirds, picking up two goals and four assists in 29 games.  Kessel has a pair of NHL appearances under his belt, both coming last season where he was held off the scoresheet while averaging a little over 15 minutes in each contest.  He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer.

St. Louis had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made to get Kessel onto the roster.  The timeline of Faulk’s injury is not yet known but he remains on the active roster for the time being.  His absence will certainly hurt tonight as he’s their leading scorer among blueliners with 17 points in 35 games while his 22:25 ATOI is second to only Colton Parayko.

 

Blue Jackets Place Sean Kuraly On IR, Recall Jake Christiansen

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The Blue Jackets have made a pair of roster moves leading into today’s contest against Buffalo.  The team announced that they’ve placed center Sean Kuraly on injured reserve retroactive to December 23; they’ve recalled defenseman Jake Christiansen from AHL Cleveland to take his place on the roster.  Meanwhile, the team also revealed that blueliner Zach Werenski will miss four to six weeks with the ankle injury that landed him on IR yesterday.

Kuraly suffered an abdominal injury last weekend against Toronto and was recently listed as day-to-day.  This placement suggests that he’ll miss the game against the Sabres but he will be eligible to return at any point after that due to the back-dating.  The 30-year-old has 11 points and a team-leading 74 hits in 35 games so far this season while logging 13:29 per night.

As for Christiansen, this is his first recall of the season after clearing waivers back in training camp.  The 24-year-old had been quite productive with the Monsters during his entry-level deal and that has continued into his fourth professional campaign as he has 22 points in 28 games so far.  Despite the offensive success in the minors, that has yet to materialize into production at the top level as Christiansen has just five points in 32 career NHL appearances.

Werenski, meanwhile, will be a big loss for the next month for Columbus.  He’s tied for the team lead in points with Johnny Gaudreau, picking up a goal and 24 assists while leading the way in playing time, logging over 24 minutes a night.  Andrew Peeke took his place in the lineup last night against Toronto although they could opt to give Christiansen a look in that spot today.

Nick Foligno Open To Extension With Blackhawks

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Before free agency opened up, the Blackhawks acquired the negotiating rights to winger Nick Foligno from Boston as part of the Taylor Hall trade.  From there, they wasted little time signing him to a one-year, $4MM contract, one that many viewed as an overpayment but GM Kyle Davidson clearly valued his potential off-ice contributions as well.

To his credit, the 36-year-old has bounced back nicely this season, already notching eight goals and nine assists through 34 games, good for third on the team in scoring.  One reason for the improvement is the fact that he’s logging more than five minutes per game extra compared to a year ago.  Speaking with Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link), GM Kyle Davidson indicated that it’s not too early to be thinking about the possibility of an extension and that there’s no reason that they wouldn’t want to keep him around while Foligno himself stated that he’s open to discussing a new deal as well:

I’m definitely open to talking.  We got to move this in the right direction, so I want to be a part of that and helping. It’s great to hear (Davidson has been thinking about that). I’ve really haven’t had a ton of conversation with Kyle on that. But I’m of the mindset right now, I’m just taking it day by day, kind of being in the moment. And if that presents itself, we’ll discuss it with my agent and see if there’s a way forward. But all signs from me right now are I’m really loving everything about this organization and the guys and, like I said, trying to help push this in the direction I expect it to go.

Since Foligno is playing on a one-year agreement, he is ineligible to sign an extension until January 1st; Davidson noted that the two sides aren’t even able to discuss a new deal until then.

Having said that, it certainly would make sense for this arrangement to last a little longer.  Davidson noted how Foligno has shown his value off the ice with a very young roster while on it, he is certainly contributing as well.  The Blackhawks also have the benefit of being able to pay an above-market rate as they are now to keep him around; per CapFriendly, they barely have $35MM in commitments for next season which means they’re looking at roughly $30MM in needed spending simply to get to next year’s cap floor.

On the other hand, an early extension would take away the possibility of moving him at the trade deadline.  Chicago has two of its three remaining salary retention slots available (the other is being used on Jake McCabe) and Foligno at a prorated $2MM price tag (if they retained the maximum 50%) would likely be appealing to some playoff-bound teams.  A contract before the deadline would then take that potential return off the table.

But if Chicago values Foligno as much as it appears they do, getting him to put pen to paper on a new deal in the near future is worth foregoing what would likely be a mid-to-late-round selection in the draft.  Accordingly, it feels like there’s a good chance the two sides will be able to work something out, even if they have to wait a little longer to officially start discussions.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Chytil, Capitals, Jost, Senators

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Rangers center Filip Chytil has returned to his native Czechia as he continues his recovery from a suspected concussion sustained back in early November, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.  While the 24-year-old has made some progress skating on his own, this move will basically serve as somewhat of a reset in his recovery.  While there, Chytil will keep skating while working with the trainer and skills coach that he works with in the offseason.  There is no word for how long he’ll be at home but Brooks notes that Chytil is committed to returning this season.  Chytil had a career year last season with 45 points and was off to a nice start this year before the injury, collecting six assists in ten contests.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren left tonight’s game early with an upper-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). He appeared to be shaken up on the first shot he faced and was only able to stay in for a few minutes before eventually coming out of the game.  The 30-year-old has done quite well this season, posting a 2.29 GAA with a .928 SV% in his first 14 games heading into this contest.
  • Meanwhile, in a separate tweet, the Capitals also noted that defenseman Martin Fehervary left tonight’s contest with an upper-body injury of his own which also occurred in the first period. The 24-year-old hasn’t lit up the scoresheet with just five points heading into this game but he had been logging a little over 19 minutes a night on Washington’s second pairing.
  • The Sabres announced that they’ve assigned center Tyson Jost to AHL Rochester. The move comes as little surprise after he cleared waivers earlier today on the heels of notching just four points in his first 29 games while carrying a $2MM contract.  With Ryan Johnson’s quick recall following the move, Buffalo will need to make another roster move to activate Zemgus Girgensons off IR; he could be cleared to return on Saturday.
  • On top of the Senators potentially getting Thomas Chabot back on their upcoming road trip which begins January 2nd, TSN’s Claire Hanna relays (Twitter link) that forwards Mathieu Joseph and Rourke Chartier should also be back during that stretch. Chabot is closer to returning than Joseph while Chartier’s timeline is a little less certain as he’s dealing with a concussion.

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