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Hurricanes Recall Spencer Martin

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Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky announced today in a team release that the team has recalled goaltender Spencer Martin from AHL Chicago. Carolina has two open roster spots, so no corresponding transaction is necessary.

The recall could indicate that either Frederik Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov is unavailable for tonight’s game against the Canucks. It’s unclear why, however. Neither sustained an apparent injury in their most recent appearances last week.

That means Martin may have the opportunity to at least dress against his former team. The 29-year-old journeyman got his first actual NHL look in Vancouver, making a career-high 29 appearances for them in the 2022-23 campaign. That workload was out of necessity, not performance, however. The 2013 third-round pick of the Avalanche struggled to the tune of a .871 SV%, 3.99 GAA, and an eye-popping -27.5 GSAA, still managing an 11-15-1 record that’s far better than his play warranted.

While that experiment clearly showed Martin isn’t a legitimate full-time NHL option, he’s still an above-average No. 3 netminder. Martin was claimed off waivers twice last season – first by the Blue Jackets from the Canucks during the preseason and again by the Hurricanes from Columbus after the Jackets no longer had a need for him on the roster in January. Martin was a slight improvement over struggling veteran Antti Raanta in limited action for Carolina last season as a backup option for Kochetkov while Andersen missed most of the season with a blood clotting issue, recording a .896 SV%, 2.63 GAA, and 4-1-1 record in six starts.

That was evidently enough for the Hurricanes to decide to keep him around, signing him to a one-year, one-way extension worth the league minimum $775K in March. With Andersen and Kochetkov healthy, he unsurprisingly landed on waivers during preseason. Unlike last season, he managed to clear, and was subsequently assigned to the minors. He’s off to a strong start with Chicago, posting a 2.32 GAA, .920 SV%, and a 1-1-1 record in three appearances.

Martin can remain on the NHL roster for up to 30 days until he needs waivers again to return to the AHL. He has a 21-26-7 record, a 3.52 GAA, and an .887 SV% in 52 career NHL starts and five relief appearances.

Canadiens Place Kaiden Guhle On IR, Reassign Lucas Condotta

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The Canadiens quietly recalled center Lucas Condotta from AHL Laval over the weekend. While the news evaded PHR at the time, the team announced this morning that he’d been reassigned back to Laval. Condotta was rostered for yesterday’s 4-3 win over the Flyers but did not play. They also moved defenseman Kaiden Guhle to injured reserve, per the NHL’s media site, giving them the 23-man roster spot to house Condotta temporarily.

The 26-year-old Condotta is in his third year of professional hockey after four seasons at UMass-Lowell. He’s spent all of them in the Habs pipeline, signing there as an undrafted free agent immediately after his senior season. The 6’1″, 223-lb pivot saw NHL ice in each of his first two full seasons under contract, recording a goal and a +1 rating in four appearances across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.

Condotta hasn’t been a needle-mover offensively with Laval but has shown value as a strong checker. He was named their captain ahead of this season and is off to a good start with three assists and a +2 rating in six appearances. In 150 career AHL games since turning pro at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, he has 24 goals, 30 assists, 54 points, 108 PIMs, and a +1 rating.

The Ontario native is in the back half of a two-year, two-way deal he signed in 2023 as a restricted free agent after his one-year entry-level contract expired. With his 27th birthday coming next week, he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time next summer.

Condotta is no longer waiver-exempt, but he cleared them without incident in September. Based on the timing of each announcement, the Habs only burned one day off his temporary waiver-exempt status, so he can still spend 29 days on the NHL roster (or play up to 10 games) this season until he requires waivers again to return to Laval.

Meanwhile, for Guhle, There’s no material change in his timeline for a return to the lineup. He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury that’s kept him out of the lineup since Oct. 17. That’s over seven days ago, so he’s eligible to come off IR at any time. There’s now a roster spot for him to walk right into with Condotta being sent down. After missing nearly all of training camp while recovering from appendectomy surgery, Guhle had one goal and three assists for four points and a +4 rating in five showings to begin 2024-25.

Rangers Recall Matt Rempe

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Oct. 28: Rempe is back with the Rangers today, per the NHL’s media site. The move was first reported last night.

Oct. 25: The Rangers have assigned right-winger Matt Rempe to AHL Hartford, the team announced after last night’s 3-1 loss to the Panthers. No corresponding move was announced, giving them an open roster spot to activate Jimmy Vesey from long-term injured reserve when he’s eligible to be taken off next week.

Given how sparsely Rempe has played to start the season, the move shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. But after appearing in 17 games for the Blueshirts last season after a February call-up and playing in 11 of their 16 playoff contests, five healthy scratches through their first seven games of 2024-25 was a bit eye-raising.

Rempe was technically left off the opening night roster for salary cap purposes, allowing the Rangers to maximize Vesey’s LTIR capture. He was recalled as soon as possible and was rostered for their season opener against the Penguins, although he watched it from the press box. In his two appearances – Oct. 12 against Utah and Oct. 19 against the Maple Leafs – he averaged just 5:39 per game, including a paltry 3:40 against the newcomers from Salt Lake.

Unlike last season, head coach Peter Laviolette decided that low ice time, not by Rempe spending nearly as much time in the penalty box as he did on the ice. Rempe has a spotless sheet to start this season after racking up 71 PIMs in his 17 regular-season showings last year. He’s also got no points, no shots (just one attempt), and five hits. The Rangers were also out-attempted 14-4 with Rempe on the ice at even strength in his tiny sample size.

A sixth-round pick of the Rangers in 2020, few expected Rempe to make much of an NHL impact, especially before his 23rd birthday. While it’s valid that one goal and one assist in 19 career games may not be considered impactful, he’s grabbed the spotlight with his throwback playstyle and willingness to drop the gloves. At times, that penchant for physicality has made him a legitimately valuable piece as a net-front option in the offensive zone, something that he’ll need to focus more on in the minors if he wants to prove he can be an influential player in an NHL that continues to see a drop in the frequency of fights.

The 6’8″, 240-lb winger has made 96 appearances in Hartford since turning pro for the 2022-23 campaign. He’s had 14 goals and eight assists with 183 PIMs and a -9 rating.

Snapshots: Drouin, Rempe, Lazar

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Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette is reporting that injured Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin is being upgraded to day-to-day, an indication that he could return to action soon. Drouin hasn’t dressed for a game since he suffered a lower-body injury in the first game of the season back on October 8th. The 29-year-old is reportedly still dealing with some pain but should be able to return when he is cleared to do so.

Colorado has not had issues putting the puck in the net this season. However, they are still without the services of several forwards and will be happy to have Drouin’s services when he gets back into the lineup.

In other notes from around the league:

  • The New York Rangers have reportedly recalled forward Matt Rempe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL (as per AHL Transactions). The 22-year-old was assigned to the AHL on Friday and dressed in two games with Hartford, where he was held without a point and went -3. New York had lent Rempe to Hartford to try and get him more playing time, but with a matchup this week against the Washington Capitals, and more specifically, Tom Wilson, the Rangers opted to bring the big man back to the NHL.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Curtis Lazar left tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks and did not return (as per Mike Morreale of NHL.com). The 29-year-old collided with Ducks captain Radko Gudas when Gudas tried to execute an ill-timed hip check on Lazar, which resulted in an awkward-looking collision. Lazar appeared unable to put any weight on his left leg as he exited the game and did not return for the third period. He played just 4:40. In a post-game interview, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporter Gabriel Trevino that Lazar will miss some time.

Evening Notes: Martin, Colton, Wood, Rust

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Matt Martin’s recently signed one-year deal with the New York Islanders will pay him a prorated salary of $775K for the season (as per PuckPedia). Martin’s deal is a one-way contract with an AAV of $875K, meaning he will make $775K in the AHL or NHL. The contract also includes a $100K bonus if the 35-year-old plays ten games in the NHL this season.

The bonus in the contract is a bit peculiar given that the Islanders were likely the only suitor for Martin’s services after he lingered unsigned in free agency for over three months. However, the $100K bonus won’t impact New York much as they can roll any overage into next season when they will have over $20MM in cap space.

In other evening notes:

  • Colorado Avalanche forwards Miles Wood and Ross Colton are expected to play tonight when the Avalanche take on the Ottawa Senators (as per Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports). Both players missed team practice yesterday after they were banged up in Thursday night’s game against Utah. Colorado head coach Jared Bednar told the media yesterday that the team was trying to allow the players to recover so that they wouldn’t miss any game time. It would appear the tactic worked, which is good news for a team that has lost a pile of man games this season.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust left last night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks with a lower-body injury (as per Ryan Gagne of The Hockey News). The 32-year-old was run into the boards by Canucks forward Nils Hoglander, who had some choice words for him as he left the ice. The Penguins were quick to rule the veteran out for the remainder of the game which isn’t a great sign for the struggling club moving forward. Pittsburgh has yet to provide an update and returned to Pittsburgh today after a disastrous road trip through Western Canada that saw the Penguins go 0-3-1. Pittsburgh plays at home on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

Stars Recall Kyle Capobianco

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The Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Kyle Capobianco ahead of their two-game series in Finland next weekend.

This move sets Capobianco up to serve as Dallas’ seventh defenseman for the Global Series. It’s his first call-up since signing a two-year, $1.6MM contract with Dallas this summer. The deal moved Capobianco to the third organization of his career, after seven years under the Arizona Coyotes and two years with the Winnipeg Jets. He spent all of last season in the minors – recording 54 points in 69 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose – but had previously been a routine call-up. He appeared in 73 NHL games between 2017 and 2023, though the 2021-22 campaign marked his only time spending a full season on the NHL roster. Capobianco recorded nine points and 38 penalty minutes in 45 games that year.

Capobianco has continued his stint in the minors through this season, so far recording three points in six games with the Texas Stars. He’s one of many productive defenders on that blue-line – with all six defenseman recording multiple points through the team’s first six games. But it’s Capobianco receiving the call to travel overseas.

Senators’ Shane Pinto Out Week-To-Week With Undisclosed Injury

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Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto has been designated as out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, head coach Travis Green shared with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Pinto was listed as a game-time decision for the team’s Friday game against Vegas but ultimately sat out. There seems to be no indication of when he could have picked up an injury, or what it would be. He played over 17 minutes of Ottawa’s 4-0 win over Utah on Thursday, showing no signs of limitation or wear.

Pinto has served a second-line role through Ottawa’s early season – recording three points, six penalty minutes, and four hits through the first six games. He’s continuing to earn hardy ice time after fighting his way back up the lineup last season. He missed the start of that season to a 41-game suspension for violating the league’s sports betting policy, but still managed 27 points and top-line deployment in the year’s latter half. That’s an 82-game pace of 54 points – a boost from Pinto’s 20-goal, 35-point rookie season.

The Senators recalled Cole Reinhardt to fill Pinto’s lineup spot on Friday. He recorded one assist in just seven minutes of ice time – likely a strong enough showing to stick around as the Senators now plan for weeks with a vacancy. The team isn’t currently carrying any extra forwards to rival Reinhardt’s spot, with Adam Gaudette and Nick Cousins already filling lineup vacancies. Reinhardt also stands as the Belleville Senators’ leading scorer, with five points through three games so far.

Pinto’s injury adds to Ottawa’s list of absentees. Artem Zub (concussion) and David Perron (personal) are also missing from the lineup, with Zub unexpected to play today or on Tuesday per Sportsnet’s Alex Adams.

East Notes: Hathaway, Aubé-Kubel, Nemec

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Flyers winger Garnet Hathaway has avoided a suspension for his elbow to the face of Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek in yesterday’s win. He didn’t go without punishment, though, and is now $5K lighter in the wallet after being fined the maximum allowable under the CBA by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

It marks the fourth season in a row that Hathaway has been fined by DoPS, and it’s the fifth fine overall of his 10-year NHL career. He was also suspended once for three games while with the Capitals in the 2019-20 season.

The incident in question occurred early in the second period of what ended up being a 7-5 win for the Flyers. While the Wild were cycling the puck on a power play, Hathaway elbowed Eriksson Ek in the face while battling for net-front positioning. Eriksson Ek had notably missed a pair of games earlier this month with a nasal fracture. Officials assessed Hathaway a minor penalty for roughing, not elbowing, on the play.

Hathaway, 33 next month, is in his second season as a Flyer and will be a UFA next summer after inking a two-year, $4.75MM deal in Philly as a free agent in 2023. He played in all 82 games last season, posting 17 points with a -7 rating while averaging 12:29 per game with a career-high 132 PIMs. He’s racked up 14 PIMs already this season in eight games, and he’s recorded three assists and 22 hits.

There’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Sabres winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel will make his return to the lineup tomorrow as expected, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, including WGR Sports Radio 550’s Paul Hamilton. Buffalo still needs to free up a roster spot before taking him off injured reserve. That corresponding move will likely be placing Zach Benson, who missed practice again today with his lower-body injury and has sat out the last two games, on IR. Ruff said he wasn’t sure where Aubé-Kubel would slot in for just his second game as a Sabre after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Devils in their season opener over three weeks ago.
  • 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec will watch his Devils from the press box for the third straight game tonight, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to the team’s Amanda Stein. Nemec hasn’t played since Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce returned to the lineup from their respective season-opening injuries and, at least for now, has been surpassed on the depth chart by 27-year-old Johnathan Kovacevic amid his hot start to the campaign. Acquired from the Canadiens in what was viewed as a minor trade at the time over the summer, Kovacevic has averaged over 21 minutes per night for the Devils thus far and has five assists with a team-high +4 rating through 11 games. Nemec, meanwhile, has struggled to be a factor with an assist and a -2 rating through nine appearances. His possession metrics have also tanked from last season when he posted a 50.2 CF% and a 53.7 xGF% with a team-high 105 blocks in just 60 appearances. This year, though, Nemec has a 42.0 CF% and 46.1 xGF%, struggling to control play at even strength despite receiving easier minutes.

Snapshots: Power, Benson, Othmann, Sharks

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The Sabres received some good news on the injury front today, as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that defenseman Owen Power was a participant in practice after leaving yesterday’s win over the Red Wings in the third period with an undisclosed ailment. It’s believed to be an illness that kept him out of the third period Saturday for all but one shift, Lysowski adds.

Power’s presence is certainly a major factor in helping the Sabres keep their forward momentum. They’ve now won three in a row to get out of a tough 1-4-1 hole they put themselves in to begin the season, climbing back to .500 and third place in the Atlantic Division. Power’s been a big part of the turnaround with a goal and five assists in his last four games, although he’s currently tracking with the worst possession metrics of his four-year NHL career (although not by a significant amount).

The 2021 first-overall pick has been skating on Buffalo’s de facto second pairing with Bowen Byram. 22 next month, Power is in the first season of a seven-year, $58.45MM extension he signed just over a year ago.

In less positive news, Buffalo remains without sophomore winger Zach Benson, who wasn’t seen at practice today while he continues to rehab a nagging lower-body injury (per WGR Sports Radio 550’s Paul Hamilton). He’s missed three games with the injury this season, including each of the last two. When in the lineup, the 19-year-old has no points and a -4 rating through six games – clearly not himself after recording 30 points in 71 games during his rookie campaign last year.

More from around the league:

  • Rangers left-wing prospect Brennan Othmann was left off the opening night roster and will now be out of action for the next little while. He’s expected to miss four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, AHL Hartford head coach Grant Potulny said last night (as relayed by USA Today Sports’ Vince Z. Mercogliano). It’s an unfortunate damper on a raucous start for the 21-year-old, who had five points (2 G, 3 A) and a +2 rating through three minor-league games. The 2021 first-round pick made his NHL debut last season, going without a point and registering six shots while averaging 9:05 through three games.
  • The Sharks certainly weren’t expected to climb much higher out of last place this year, but few expected last season’s disastrous 19-54-9 record to not see any improvement. Unfortunately, a coaching change and significant roster turnover haven’t changed San Jose’s fortunes, at least so far. They’ve become the first team in NHL history to start back-to-back seasons with nine-game losing streaks, a stat first-year head coach Ryan Warsofsky called “truly embarrassing” following a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the hands of the Golden Knights last night. “I don’t think anyone’s happy by any means,” Warsofsky said post-game (via San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng). “There’s a lot of emotion in that locker room, frustration, anger, it’s tough right now.“

Rangers Reassign Jake Leschyshyn

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Oct. 27: The Rangers assigned Leschyshyn back to Hartford on Sunday morning, the team announced. He didn’t play in last night’s 2-1 win over the Ducks, instead serving as a healthy scratch. He could continue to serve as an extra forward for the next little while but will likely only be summoned to the Rangers’ roster on game days, allowing them to accrue additional cap space while Leschyshyn is off the roster.

Oct. 26: The Rangers didn’t waste much time filling the roster spot created by Friday’s assignment of winger Matt Rempe to AHL Hartford.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Jake Leschyshyn has been recalled from the Wolf Pack.

The 25-year-old was a full-time roster player for the better part of a year and a half between Vegas and New York, who claimed him off waivers in early 2023.  However, he only got into one game with the Rangers last season, spending the rest of the year in Hartford where he had eight goals and 11 assists in 47 games.  He has suited up five times for them this season, collecting three points so far.  For his career, he has played in 77 NHL contests, notching two goals and four assists in 10:15 per game of playing time.

With a cap hit of just $766.7K, Leschyshyn actually costs less than the league minimum on the cap which will help them as they look to stay out of LTIR and continue to accrue cap space.  He’s in the final year of his contract and will need to play at least three NHL games for him to be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.  If that doesn’t happen, he can hit the open market next summer as a Group Six unrestricted free agent.

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