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Waivers: 10/08/23

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Oct. 9: Four players on this list were claimed today: A.J. Greer (Calgary), John Ludvig (Pittsburgh), Ivan Prosvetov (Colorado), and Lassi Thomson (Ottawa). All others have cleared and are expected to be assigned to their team’s respective AHL affiliates, aside from Boyd, who PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports remains on the Coyotes’ active roster for now.

Oct. 8: It’s expected to be a busy day on the waiver wire, as NHL teams are making their final adjustments to the roster they’ll bring into the start of the 2023-24 season. There have already been numerous notable names exposed to the waiver wire thus far this preseason, and that list could only expand today. All players from yesterday’s waiver wire have cleared.

Anaheim Ducks

D Lassi Thomson
G Alex Stalock
F Andrew Agozzino

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
F A.J. Greer

Arizona Coyotes

F Travis Boyd
F Zach Sanford
G Ivan Prosvetov

Carolina Hurricanes

D Dylan Coghlan

Chicago Blackhawks

F Joey Anderson

Colorado Avalanche

F Riley Tufte

Dallas Stars

F Riley Damiani

Detroit Red Wings

F Zach Aston-Reese

Edmonton Oilers

F Raphael Lavoie
F Lane Pederson
D Ben Gleason

Florida Panthers

F Zac Dalpe
D John Ludvig
D Casey Fitzgerald

Los Angeles Kings

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Montreal Canadiens

F Joel Armia
D Gustav Lindström

Ottawa Senators

F Bokondji Imama

Pittsburgh Penguins

G Magnus Hellberg
F Colin White
D Mark Friedman
F Vinnie Hinostroza
F Radim Zohorna

St. Louis Blues
F Mackenzie MacEachern
D Calle Rosen
G Malcolm Subban
F Nathan Walker

Tampa Bay Lightning

D Zach Bogosian
F Gabriel Fortier

Toronto Maple Leafs

G Martin Jones
F Kyle Clifford
F Dylan Gambrell
D William Lagesson
D Maxime Lajoie

Vancouver Canucks

F Jack Studnicka
D Christian Wolanin

Vegas Golden Knights

F Grigori Denisenko

Winnipeg Jets

D Kyle Capobianco
G Collin Delia
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

The big surprise here out of Arizona regards Boyd. The versatile 30-year-old veteran doesn’t have an exorbitant contract (just $1.75MM through the end of the season) and has scored 69 points across the last two seasons.

He’s been something of a breakout player for the Coyotes as his 17-goal, 35-point 2022-23 was far and away his best season in his career, so it’s definitely a surprise to see him exposed on waivers.

For Anaheim, the move to waive Stalock likely means that Lukáš Dostál has won the Ducks’ backup goalie job behind John Gibson, as should Stalock clear the Ducks will have the option to send him down to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

In Edmonton, it comes as a little bit of a surprise to see Lavioe waived. The 23-year-old power forward was drafted just outside of the 2019 first round, and took a real step forward in his development last season. He became a genuinely impactful AHLer, scoring 25 goals and 45 points. He’s a name to watch in terms of players with the potential to be claimed out of this group.

Anderson-Dolan finally made the NHL on an extended basis last season, and scored 12 points in 46 games. He even got some playoff action under his belt, but seeing as he was a near-point-per-game scorer in his last season in the AHL, it seems the Kings could prefer to have him start the season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

Rosen appears the likeliest candidate from the Blues’ group of waived players to be of interest to other teams, as he’s owed just a $762.5k cap hit this season and impressed in 49 games of NHL action last season. He scored 18 points in that span and could interest teams in need of some additional defensive help.

Out of Tampa is Bogosian, and it’s reported that the Lightning are hoping to put the veteran blueliner in a position to land on another team where he can play a bigger role than he’d be offered in Tampa. The 33-year-old won a Stanley Cup for the Lightning and it seems that the organization is looking to do right by the player while also turning to other options to staff their defense.

One of the biggest names on waivers comes out of Toronto, as Jones played in 48 games last season but now finds himself exposed to 31 other clubs. With an $875k cap hit, the veteran netminder could end up claimed by teams in need of instant goaltending support, such as the Lightning who don’t have much depth after the injury to superstar Andrei Vasilevskiy.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Carolina Hurricanes Expected To Loan Pyotr Kochetkov To Syracuse Crunch

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes has reported on X that the Carolina Hurricanes will loan netminder Pyotr Kochetkov to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, the top affiliate of the Hurricanes’ Eastern Conference rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The move comes in the wake of two significant events: the injury to Lightning superstar goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, as well as the move by the Hurricanes’ prior AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to move forward as an independent AHL franchise.

The Wolves’ move has left the Hurricanes without an AHL affiliate of their own, and the result has been significant to the developmental pathways for Hurricanes prospects. A few prospects, some of whom are notably AHL-caliber players (such as Anttoni Honka and Noel Gunler) will be playing in the ECHL for 2023-24, while others such as Jamieson Rees have latched on with AHL clubs.

It has also complicated things for Hurricanes goaltending, as the team had previously been able to count on an AHL affiliate to provide starter-level opportunity for their organization’s third goalie.

Placing Kochetkov in Syracuse will allow Kochetkov to see regular game action, something he was unlikely to receive as a third goalie behind Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta.

Making $2MM against the cap through 2026-27, the Hurricanes likely believe that the 24-year-old Kochetkov will be a long-term face in Carolina, so getting him the chance to continue his development in the AHL is an important step.

The Crunch are one of the AHL’s few remaining independently-owned franchises, and they have always prioritized a healthy balance between development and playing winning hockey.

As other AHL teams have jumped head-first into prioritizing development above all else, the Crunch have continuously attempted to field a contending roster, and the addition of Kochetkov will help them dramatically for the early part of the season.

The injury of Vasilevskiy may have a ripple effect on goaltending depth for the Lightning organization, as one of the goalies expected to see time with the Crunch, Matt Tomkins, is now in Tampa with the Lightning.

Getting Kochetkov will not only make it so the Crunch won’t have to rely on offseason signing Evan Fitzpatrick to start games, (he has just 13 AHL games on his resume) it will also land them one of the most talented goalies in the AHL, even if just for a limited time.

While it’s certainly not a common sight to see an NHL team loan a notable player to a rival team, this move is not without precedent. The St. Louis Blues once loaned netminder Jordan Binnington to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, just one year before Binnington defeated the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

Although it’s far from an ideal situation for the Hurricanes and Kochetkov, this move does have its benefits for all parties involved and it’ll be interesting to see how the Crunch split starts between Kochetkov and Hugo Alnefelt, a valued Tampa Bay prospect.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Training Camp Cuts: 10/7/23

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While teams have considerably whittled down their rosters compared to where they were just a weekend ago, there are still plenty more cuts to be made in the coming days.  Here are today’s roster trimmings excluding earlier waiver placements.

Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)

D Ryan Johnson (to Rochester, AHL)
F Lukas Rousek (to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (via team release)

D Nick DeSimone (to Calgary, AHL)
F Mathias Emilio Pettersen (to Calgary, AHL)
F Martin Pospisil (to Calgary, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

G Yaniv Perets (to Norfolk, ECHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

D Marcus Bjork (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Jake Christiansen (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Joshua Dunne (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Brendan Gaunce (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Carson Meyer (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Billy Sweezey (to Cleveland, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via team Twitter)

D Alexander Petrovic (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team Twitter)

F Austin Czarnik (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Timothy Gettinger (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Taro Hirose (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G John Lethemon (to Toledo, ECHL)
D Jared McIsaac (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Wyatt Newpower (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brogan Rafferty (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per ESPN’s John Buccigross)

D Marc Del Gaizo (to Milwaukee, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team Twitter)

D Santeri Hatakka (to Utica, AHL)
G Isaac Poulter (to Utica, AHL)

New York Rangers (per team Twitter)

F Jonny Brodzinski (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ben Harpur (to Hartford, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team Twitter)

F Wade Allison (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team Twitter)

F Ryan Carpenter (to San Jose, AHL)
F Oskar Lindblom (to San Jose, AHL)
F Quentin Musty (to Sudbury, OHL)
F Jacob Peterson (to San Jose, AHL)

Seattle Kraken (per team Twitter)

D Ryker Evans (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Shane Wright (to Coachella Valley, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)

F Nicolas Aube-Kubel (to Hershey, AHL)
G Mitchell Gibson (to Hershey, AHL)
F Alex Limoges (to Hershey, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Hershey, AHL)
F Joe Snively (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
G Hunter Shepard (to Hershey, AHL)

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Hurricanes Could Give Felix Unger Sörum Nine-Game Trial

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As training camp draws to a close, the Carolina Hurricanes were among the teams making significant roster cuts today. Notably, 2023 second-round selection Felix Unger Sörum was not among them – he remains on the team’s camp roster for now. The Norwegian-born Swede turned 18 just a few weeks ago, but head coach Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged his impressive camp today and didn’t rule out Unger Sörum remaining on the team’s roster through the first few games of the season.

That would be one of the most improbable developments of camp. It’s rare players selected outside the top ten choices make an immediate jump to the NHL – let alone players who were selected in later rounds altogether. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound winger posted 10 goals and 46 points in 42 games in Swedish junior play with Leksand last season, and he’ll get loaned back to the organization when his time with Carolina is over this season. His stint on the Hurricanes’ opening night roster will likely be tied to the health of star winger Andrei Svechnikov, who is expected to be ready for the team’s regular season opener after undergoing knee surgery in March. If that’s not the case, however, Brind’Amour says the young Swede may stick around for a nine-game trial to avoid burning the first season of his entry-level contract.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/06/23

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Less than a week away from the opening night of the 2023-24 NHL season, teams continue to make roster cuts in an effort to finalize their official roster heading into the year. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)

D Robert Hägg (to San Diego, AHL)
D Noah Warren (to Victoriaville, QMJHL)
D Colton White (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via team release)

G Brandon Bussi (to Providence, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)

F Zach Aston-Reese (released from PTO)
F Kieffer Bellows (released from PTO)
F Cory Conacher (released from PTO)
F Brendan Perlini (released from PTO)
F Nick Shore (released from PTO)
D Nathan Beaulieu (released from PTO)
F Noel Gunler (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Blake Murray (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Justin Robidas (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Anttoni Honka (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Griffin Mendel (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Ronan Seeley (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Springfield, AHL)
D Aleksi Heimosalmi (to Pori, Liiga)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

G Jet Greaves (to Cleveland, AHL)
F James Malatesta (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Hunter McKown (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Pearson (released from PTO)
F Stefan Matteau (released from PTO, expected to join AHL Cleveland via tryout)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release)

F Alexandre Doucet (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Marco Kasper (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Albert Johansson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Antti Tuomisto (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Eemil Viro (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D William Wallinder (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Sebastian Cossa (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (released from PTO)
F Riley Sawchuk (released from PTO)
F Dominik Shine (released from PTO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Josiah Didier (released from PTO)
G Michael Hutchinson (released from PTO)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

G Spencer Knight (to Charlotte, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release)

D Brandt Clarke (to Ontario, AHL)
D Alex Laferriere (to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)

New York Islanders (via team release)

F William Dufour (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Aidan Fulp (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ruslan Iskhakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Eetu Liukas (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Matt Maggio (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Travis Mitchell (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Reece Newkirk (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Calle Odelius (to Bridgeport, AHL)

New York Rangers (via team release)

F Brennan Othmann (to Hartford, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster)

F Brendan Brisson (to Henderson, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release)

F Ethen Frank (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Vincent Iorio (to Hershey, AHL)
D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team release)

F Parker Ford (to Manitoba, AHL)

It’s relatively big news coming out of Florida today, as Knight’s reassignment to Charlotte means veteran Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Sunrise. Stolarz struggled last season to the tune of an .899 save percentage in 19 games, though he was playing in difficult circumstances as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Stolarz does have a track record of quality play from as recently as 2021-22, when he posted a strong .917 save percentage in 28 games, and it’s likely the Panthers believe Stolarz will perform closer to how he did in 2021-22 than 2022-23.

As for Knight, he’ll get to build himself back to the NHL by getting some lower-pressure game action under his belt in the AHL. Knight has been away from the ice for the better part of a year as he’s participated in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, so it’s understandable that the Panthers would want to ease him back into the rigors of being an NHL goalie rather than begin the season with him in the NHL and potentially risk losing Stolarz on waivers.

In New York, it’s no real surprise to see Othmann sent to Hartford. While there was an outside chance that the Rangers would take advantage of one of their top prospects’ affordable cap hit for their opening-night roster, Othmann has not yet made his professional debut and thrusting a rookie into a win-now environment with a demanding veteran head coach in Peter Laviolette may not have been the best place for Othmann to develop.

In Hartford, Othmann is likely to play a major all-situations role for head coach Kris Knoblauch and he’s likely to be near the front of the line for a call-up should the Rangers have forward injuries. Assuming he can hit the ground running for the Wolf Pack and put together a productive rookie AHL campaign, he’ll likely be a full-time NHL player a year from now.

A few notable prospects were sent down elsewhere, including on Long Island where a trio of talented wingers were sent to the AHL. Maggio is looking to have a strong first season as a professional hockey player while Iskhakov and Dufour each posted solid numbers in Bridgeport last season, but just missed the cut in terms of making the NHL roster.

In the American capital, Lapierre finished his debut AHL campaign well but his poor start did cause some concern. As a result, it seems as though Washington will look to see him put together a more consistently productive campaign at the pro level before testing him in the NHL. The Golden Knights likely sent down their own 2020 first-round pick, Brisson, for the same reasons after he scored a decent but not overwhelming 18 goals and 37 points in the AHL last season.

There’s a bit of a curious player development decision made in Carolina, where a slate of prospects have been sent to the ECHL. Certain names, such as Honka, who scored 34 points in the AHL last season, are clearly players capable of playing in the AHL and will have to instead play 2023-24 in the ECHL due to the Hurricanes’ lack of an AHL affiliate.

While the lower level of competition does set the stage for players such as Honka, Robidas, and Gunler to have highly productive seasons, one wonders if playing third-tier hockey rather than in the AHL, widely regarded as one of the world’s best leagues outside the NHL, is going to end up the best choice for those players’ development.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

No Extension Talks Between Hurricanes And Rod Brind'Amour

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TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the New Jersey Devils continue to work on signing head coach Lindy Ruff to a multi-year extension. Ruff had the option on his contract picked up for this season but will be a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season. Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald told Lebrun that the intention is to sign Ruff long-term, but didn’t give any details as to whether or not there are any sticking points or holdups in the negotiations.

Last season, Ruff led the Devils on their first playoff run since 2018 with a record of 52-22-8 finishing second in the Metropolitan Division. The Devils knocked off the New York Rangers in the first round in seven games before falling in the second round to the Carolina Hurricanes. For his career, Ruff has coached for three organizations (Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, New Jersey) and has a career record of 834-652-78.

In other coaching news:

  • LeBrun added that he believes the Los Angeles Kings and Head Coach Todd McLellan are also working on an extension at this time. Few details were given, but much like Ruff, McLellan is in the final season of his existing contract. In four seasons with the Kings, the 55-year-old has guided the club to a 141-115-34 record that includes back-to-back first-round playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers. McLellan’s contract negotiation could be interesting as he reportedly is making $5MM in the final year of a five-year $25MM contract he signed in April of 2019.
  • LeBrun said on TSN Insider Trading that the Carolina Hurricanes and Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour have yet to discuss an extension. Much like Ruff and McLellan, Brind’Amour will be a free agent at the end of the year. Lebrun did speak to Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon who said that the Hurricanes do intend to engage Brind’Amour and get him signed to a contract extension very soon. Brind’Amour is widely considered to be one of the top coaches in the NHL and would likely initiate a large bidding war if his services were ever offered up on the open market.

Rod Brind'Amour Expected To Get New Deal In Carolina

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The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently broke down what coaches are on expiring deals, and what fans can expect them to do next. He most notably broke down Rod Brind’Amour’s next contract, expressing confidence that the long-running head coach will stick to his word of wanting to stay behind the Carolina Hurricanes bench. This is despite Brind’Amour only making around $2MM in salary, a number that would certainly go up if he became a free agent.

Brind’Amour has spent 22 years with the Hurricanes franchise, including the final 10 seasons of his playing career and now 12 seasons on their coaching staff. It’s clear he’s found a home in Raleigh and isn’t expected to be moving on any time soon.

[SOURCE LINK]

Training Camp Cuts: 9/23/23

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The preseason is now officially underway after the Coyotes and Kings played their first of two contests in Australia overnight.  Technically, it was the first of three games on the docket for Arizona as they also have split-squad games set for today against St. Louis.  With the exhibition season now going, teams will start to begin paring down their rosters in the coming days.  We’ll keep tabs on any of today’s cut activity here.

Arizona Coyotes (via PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan)

F Ben Boyd (to St. Mary’s, USports)
F Josh Prokop (to University of Alberta, USports)
F Elliot Ekefjärd (Almtuna, HockeyAllsvenskan)
D Justin Kipkie (to Victoria, WHL)
D Ryder Thompson (to Portland, WHL)

Buffalo Sabres (via team release)

F Ethan Miedema (to Kingston, OHL)
G Scott Ratzlaff (to Seattle, WHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)

G Jakub Vondras (to Sudbury, OHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

D Nicholas DeAngelis (released from tryout)
F Kocha Delic (released from tryout)
D Gunner Kinniburgh (released from tryout)
D Joe Leahy (released from tryout)
F Sean McGurn (released from tryout)
F Tyler Peddle (to Drummondville, QMJHL)
F Luca Pinelli (to Ottawa, OHL)
F Nate Schnarr (released from tryout)
F Jakin Smallwood (released from tryout)
F Aidan Spellacy (released from tryout)
F Oasiz Wiesblatt (released from tryout)

Seattle Kraken (via team Twitter)

D Eric Jamieson (to Everett, WHL)
G Tyler Palmer (to Everett, WHL)
D Caden Price (to Kelowna, WHL)

This post will be updated as further cuts come in.

Raanta Left Money And Term On The Table To Stay With Hurricanes

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Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta acknowledged to Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News that he left both term and money on the table when he decided to re-sign with Carolina on the opening day of free agency back in July.  The 34-year-old put up back-to-back strong seasons with the Hurricanes and posted a 2.23 GAA along with a .910 SV% in 27 games last year, numbers that seemingly had him positioned for a raise on the $2MM AAV of his previous deal but instead, he accepted a one-year, $1.5MM agreement.  Frederik Andersen also re-signed on July 1st and with Carolina also not having an AHL affiliate this season, Pyotr Kochetkov could also be in the mix as well which means one of the stronger goalie trios remains intact for the upcoming season.

Vasili Ponomarev Suffers Undisclosed Injury

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  • Hurricanes prospect Vasili Ponomarev will be out for a little while, notes Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). The 21-year-old is coming off a strong first season in North America as he picked up 24 goals and 22 assists in 64 games last season with AHL Chicago.  The injury isn’t believed to be overly serious but as someone who might have had a shot at pushing for a spot with Carolina in training camp, missing any time will make that objective harder to accomplish.

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