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Chad Ruhwedel

Olli Maatta Out Six Weeks After Hand Surgery

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Give the Pittsburgh Penguins credit for moving quickly on this one. After injuring his left hand in last night’s win over the Winnipeg Jets, defenseman Olli Maatta underwent successful surgery this morning, according to GM Jim Rutherford. Maatta is expected to be out six weeks while he recovers, and should return just in time for the playoffs.

Maatta was hit by Adam Lowry in the second period last night, and left the ice cradling his left hand. Not long after, Justin Schultz was also the recipient of a big hit, this one from Dustin Byfuglien, and left with an apparent head or neck injury. Neither defenseman returned to action, leaving Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Ian Cole, and Trevor Daley to each log over 23 minutes on the blue line and, amazingly, help to erase a third period deficit and escape with a win. There is no word yet on Schultz’ condition, but it is clear now that the Penguins will need to find a solution other than playing down a defenseman to make up for the long-term loss of Maata.

The 22-year-old Finnish defender is about as solid in his own end as one can be at his age. Though he doesn’t bring much in the way of offense, with just one goal and six assists this season, Maatta is relied on to play big minutes in Pittsburgh and is a top shot-blocker and short-handed specialist. The Penguins can always find offense from their blue line, but they face a harder task in replacing Maatta’s defense as they jockey for postseason positioning down the stretch. First and foremost, expect Cole to see a much greater role over the next two months. Chad Ruhwedel and Steve Oleksy would then be the next men up as in-house options to replace Maatta, but don’t inspire much confidence. Derrick Pouliot and David Warsofsky may be better options, but are more offensively-inclined and wouldn’t make up for Maataa’s loss in the defensive zone. Instead, the Penguins, who had already been rumored to be looking for a veteran depth defenseman, may increase the vigor of their search. A smart, physical, two-way blue liner could be a key addition by Rutherford to keep Pittsburgh afloat in the competitive Metropolitan Division, at least until Maatta is ready to return.

Minor Transactions: 2/17/2017

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The Washington Capitals announced that they have recalled rookies Zach Sanford and Jakub Vrana from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The pair has combined to play in 33 games for the Capitals in 2016-17, and their continued growth will become even more important down the stretch. Sanford has played in 21 games, but has only a goal and an assist in limited ice time. Vrana has suited up for just 12 games, but has a goal and two assists in that time, as well as a +2 rating. When active, Vrana has seen more ice time with the Capital’s skill players, while Sanford has settled into a bottom-six role. Regardless, both players need to work harder to bring their strong AHL production to the next level in Washington. With Andre Burakovsky sidelined, the Capitals approach the Trade Deadline with very little forward depth beyond their starters other than the two rookies. If Sanford and Vrana can’t pick up the pace when the Caps return from their bye week on Saturday, Washington will very likely target one or two veteran forwards by March 1st.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Arizona was forced to promote goalie Marek Langhamer last night on an emergency basis, as backup Louis Domingue was injured earlier in the day. The AHL Tuscon Roadrunners’ keeper traveled to Los Angeles to meet the team prior to their road game and will head back to Arizona and remain with the team for now. Langhamer hasn’t had his best season in 2016-17,  posting a .914 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average to accompany a losing record in 12 games with the Roadrunners, but performed much worse in his first AHL season last year. Langhamer has looked much better down in the ECHL over the past two campaigns and seems to just need more time to develop. He is still a better prospect than many would have expected when he was drafted in the seventh round in 2012 out of the Czech Republic national junior program.
  • In the wake of injuries to Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled fellow defensemen Steven Oleksy and Cameron Gaunce from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Maatta will miss the next six weeks, while Schultz’ condition is still unknown, so a long-term role or two may have just opened up for Oleksy, Gaunce, or Chad Ruhwedel.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have promoted forward Gabriel Dumont from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Dumont was passed through waivers last month and demoted to the minors, but in need of an extra body up front, he’ll return to West Florida from upstate New York. Dumont has just two points in 14 games with the Bolts, and five points overall in his NHL career.
  • The Calgary Flames assigned defenseman Brett Kulak to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the team announced.  Kulak has played in 21 games with the Flames this year, picking up three assists while averaging a little more than 14 minutes per game.  He also has suited up in 11 minor league games with the Heat, recording five points.
  • Anaheim Ducks blueliner Shea Theodore has once again been re-assigned to their AHL affiliate in San Diego per a team release.  This marks the 12th different time he has been sent down this year in an effort to save cap space and to get him as much playing time as possible.  In 30 games with the Ducks, Theodore has eight points but has been more of an offensive threat in the minors with nine points in just 13 games.
  • The San Jose Sharks continued their near-daily shuffle of youngsters to and from the minor leagues, announcing (via Twitter) that winger Timo Meier and defenseman Tim Heed have been assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.  Meier has played in 26 games with the Sharks while Heed, despite being recalled eight separate times since January, has played just one NHL game this year.
  • The Nashville Predators have flipped backup goalies once again, sending Juuse Saros to AHL Milwaukee while recalled Marek Mazenec, reports Adam Vingan of the Tennessean.  The move will allow Saros to get into a game or two in the minors to stay in game shape before likely returning to Nashville next week.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have recalled center Michael McCarron from St. John’s of the AHL.  McCarron had been sent down to play while the team was on their bye week.  McCarron, who is one of the players Arizona is coveting in a Martin Hanzal trade, has a goal and four assists in 18 games with the Canadiens this season.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced that they recalled winger Brandon Tanev from the Manitoba Moose.  Defenseman Toby Enstrom was placed on injured reserve (retroactive to February 12th) to make room on the roster for him.  Tanev has spent the bulk of the season with the Jets, playing in 39 games while scoring two goals and two assists.

Breaking Down Potential Landing Spots For Kevin Shattenkirk

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The trade deadline is just over a month away, and there will be a lot of names brought up as potentially on the move. Expiring contracts are the easiest to move, as teams go for a Stanley Cup run while others rebuild. The most talked about name all year and likely for the next month is Kevin Shattenkirk.  The defensemen topped our mid-season list of 2017 UFAs and is having another excellent season.

It was recently reported by Darren Dreger that Shattenkirk would have interest in signing a long-term deal with Anaheim, Boston, Colorado, Detroit, New York (Rangers), San Jose, and Toronto this summer and many have suggested that one of these teams would be willing to be the top bidder at the deadline if they were able to work out an extension with him prior to the deal.

It doesn’t really make sense for some of these teams to make the deal, though the way the Eastern Conference is so tightly packed, everyone might think adding an elite right-handed defenseman would push them into a playoff spot.

A similar deal was made two years ago, when Keith Yandle was dealt to the Rangers. Though Yandle had one more year on his deal, he was a similarly productive offensive defensemen who logged huge minutes. The Rangers had to give up a young sniper in 19-year old Anthony Duclair, a (conditional) first-round pick and a second-round pick. The Rangers would go all the way to the Conference Finals that year, but get bounced out the next in the first round. Recouping some of their lost assets, they dealt Yandle’s rights to Florida where he signed long-term.

For Shattenkirk, imagine a slightly reduced package (unless an extension is reached) but still with substantial assets. Here are some Eastern Conference options for the Blues’ alternate captain.

New York Rangers

Would the Rangers go after another big-named defenseman at the deadline? Shattenkirk is from the area and many people believe they’re the early front-runners for his services this summer. The Rangers haven’t selected a player in the first-round since 2012, and if they go after the Blues’ defenseman they likely won’t this year either. Shattenkirk would look nice skating alongside captain Ryan McDonagh, but the team may not want to part with any young talent or high draft picks again this year.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are slumping hard, losing again today 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquiring Shattenkirk may be a fun idea, but it likely wouldn’t be enough to fix everything that’s going wrong right now. It’s unclear who they’d even waive as bait, with Brandon Carlo being their best trade chip. Moving out a young right-handed defenseman for a rental doesn’t sound like the best managing.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs surprised everyone this year by being in the playoff hunt through the first half. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have played better than anyone expected in their rookie seasons, and their secondary scoring has been consistent. They do have a huge hole on the right side of their defense, but all signs point to Brendan Shanahan and company sticking to the rebuild and not giving up young assets. They may be a player in the summer for his services, but it would be shocking to see them move a pick or prospect for him in-season.

Philadelphia Flyers

If Philly wants to make the playoffs this year, they have to do something with their defense corps. After a scorching hot start, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league the last month or so and can’t seem to keep the puck out of their own net. Shattenkirk would perhaps help them more than any other team, as currently Radko Gudas is their only right-handed defenseman.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Yes, the Penguins already have a stud who plays on the right side, but Kris Letang has been injured for much of the year. A team who often makes a big splash at the deadline for the playoffs, they currently have Justin Schultz, Chad Ruhwedel and Steve Oleksy playing the right side. Though Schultz is having a career season, the playoffs are a different story. The Penguins shouldn’t be considered anything more than a dark horse in the Shattenkirk sweepstakes, but it would be an interesting fit to be sure.

Penguins Place Kris Letang On IR

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Five days ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins were riding high with a five-game winning streak. Now, they’ve lost three games in a row and will be without their best defenseman for the foreseeable future.

The team placed Kris Letang on Injured Reserve (IR) on Monday morning; Letang left Saturday night’s loss in Detroit after just two minutes of ice-time, in which he scored a goal. The injury came exactly one month after his last injury, which was also a lower-body injury.

In a following move, the Penguins recalled winger Jake Guentzel and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel from the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins. Guentzel has 42 points in 31 AHL games, with three goals and an assist in five games at the NHL level. Ruhwedel has 16 points in 28 games in the AHL, and has a goal and assist in five NHL games.

According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, these were the lines when the Penguins skated on Monday morning:

Sheary-Crosby-Rust
Guentzel-Malkin-Hornqvist
Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel
Kunitz-Cullen-Wilson

Maatta-Daley
Cole-Schultz
Warsofsky-Ruhwedel-Oleksy

Cap Friendly reports that the Long-Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) savings from Pascal Dupuis and Brian Dumoulin are enough for the Penguins to make the recalls, meaning Letang won’t be out long enough to warrant being placed on LTIR.

Letang has only played a full season once, back in 2010-11. Since then, he’s played just 293 of a possible 452 regular season games. Despite his injury history, Letang has 246 points in those 293 games.

Replacing Letang’s offense will fall to the rest of the Penguins’ defense core; most notably Justin Schultz will need to continue his renaissance season. Schultz has 26 points in 42 games this season, which represents the best offensive pace of his NHL career after several poor years which got him traded out of Edmonton.

Minor Transactions: 1/12/17

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Here is where we’ll keep tabs on today’s comings and goings with the minor leagues:

  • The Islanders announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Scott Mayfield from AHL Bridgeport. He will take the place of Travis Hamonic on the active roster, who has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 7th.  Mayfield has played in three games with the Isles this season, picking up a goal and two assists.  He has spent the bulk of the season in the minors where he has three tallies and three helpers in 23 contests.
  • Nashville announced the recall of defenseman Alexandre Carrier from Milwaukee of the AHL. Carrier, a fourth round pick of the Predators back in 2015, has had a strong rookie season in the minor leagues, recording 22 points (4-18-22) in 35 games, earning himself a spot in the AHL All-Star Game.
  • With their bye week set to come to an end, the Coyotes announced that they have recalled center Laurent Dauphin and winger Brendan Perlini from their AHL affiliate in Tucson. Dauphin has spent the bulk of the season with Arizona, recording three points in 21 games while producing at a point-per-game clip in 11 minor league contests.  As for Perlini, he has suited up in 15 NHL games, scoring four goals and an assist while adding 19 points (14-5-19) in 17 games with the Roadrunners.
  • After just three games with AHL Hartford, the Rangers have recalled (Twitter link) winger Pavel Buchnevich.  The Russian rookie made an early impact this season, recording four goals and four assists in ten games before back spasms took him out of the lineup for nearly two months.  New York had sent Buchnevich down to get back into game shape and evidently they’re pleased with how performed; he had a goal and an assist in his three minor league contests.
  • Pittsburgh has assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).  He did not get into any action with the Penguins after being recalled on January 6th.  Ruhwedel has suited up in five NHL games this season, recording a goal and and an assist.
  • The Ducks announced that they have assigned center Chris Wagner to AHL San Diego.  The 25 year old has three goals in 25 games with Anaheim this season and cleared waivers back in mid-November.  Recently, the team had experimented with playing him on the wing; that type of versatility may come in handy as he pushes to be the next player recalled from the Gulls.

Minor Transactions: 1/6/17

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Here are the minor transactions from around the hockey world for January 6, 2017.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have called up goaltender Tristian Jarry and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel from the Wilkes-Barrie/ Scranton Penguins. Jarry has 14 wins this season, which puts him in a four-way tie to lead the AHL. Jarry returns to the NHL club to cover for Matt Murray’s recent injury. The Penguins had their CBA-mandated bye-week, so Jarry was sent down to play games instead of getting a week off. He has yet to make his NHL debut. Ruhwedel has 15 points in 27 games with the AHL club this year, and two points in five NHL games.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Liam O’Brien from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. O’Brien has 18 points in 28 games with the Bears, and could play his first NHL game since 2014-15. He had two points in 13 games with the Capitals in his first year of professional hockey. O’Brien has 42 points in 132 AHL games in his career, and is in the final year of his entry-level contract.
  • A day after clearing waivers, Anton Khudobin is on his way to the AHL as the Bruins call up Zane McIntyre in a swap of backup goaltenders. McIntyre is unbeaten in the AHL this season with a spectacular 10-0-0 record and an AHL-leading 0.951 SV% and a 1.41 GAA. He hasn’t had the same success at the NHL level, though. He’s 0-2-0 in three appearances with a 0.859 SV% and a 4.04 GAA. Meanwhile, Khudobin has struggled in his second stint in Boston, with just one win in seven games and a GAA of 3.06. He’s in the first season of a two-year contract which pays him $1.2MM per season. Khudobin will still account for $250K against the Bruins cap while he plies his trade in the AHL.
  • The Bruins have also returned energy forward Noel Acciari to the Providence Bruins. Acciari has struggled to earn regular play time in Boston since returning from injury two weeks ago.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned defenseman Gustav Forsling to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. Forsling was a pleasant surprise who made the Blackhawks out of training camp, but has seen his ice-time decrease throughout the season. He has four points in 32 games in the NHL this season. The Blackhawks likely wanted to stop carrying eight defensemen, as veterans Brian Campbell and Michal Rozsival were healthy scratches for last night’s game. Forsling did not need to clear waivers to be sent down, so he was the odd-man out.
  • Staying with the Blackhawks organization, Spencer Abbott was recalled by Chicago on January 3. Three days and one game later, he’s heading back to the Rockford. Abbott was held pointless in just over eight minutes of ice on Thursday night. He has 21 points in 30 AHL games in his first full year in the Blackhawks organization since being acquired at the 2015 NHL trade deadline. Abbott played last season in Sweden before returning to North America. It’s likely that Jordin Tootoo will draw back into the lineup in his place.
  • The Dallas Stars have sent Patrik Nemeth to the AHL on a conditioning stint. The 6’3, 215 lbs defenseman has played in just 16 games with the Stars this season, with no points.
  • Oilers prospect Jordan Oesterle is heading back to Bakersfield. He has yet to appear in any NHL games this season, having been recalled to serve as the seventh defenseman twice. The speedy defenseman has eight points in 14 AHL games this year after scoring five points in 17 games with the Oilers last season.

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