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Roland McKeown

Nashville Predators Reassign Roland McKeown

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Jan 18: McKeown has now been sent back to the AHL.

Jan 14: After opening up a roster spot yesterday when they returned Yaroslav Askarov to the minors, the Predators have filled that vacancy, announcing that they’ve recalled defenseman Roland McKeown from AHL Milwaukee.

It’s the fourth recall of the season for McKeown and the third in the last two weeks as he has been shuffled back and forth a bit more than usual lately, including to create the roster spot when Askarov had to be brought up a few days ago.  The 26-year-old has gotten into five games with Nashville this season, logging 13:32 per night on the back end in his first NHL action since the 2017-18 season.  In his career, he has three assists in 15 appearances at the top level.

McKeown has spent the bulk of the year in the minors, getting into 25 games with the Admirals where he has eight points.  He’s in the first season of a two-year, two-way deal and is likely to return to his previous role of being Nashville’s spare defender as they were only carrying the minimum of six prior to this roster move.

Nashville Predators Reassign Yaroslav Askarov

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Jan 13: Askarov has been sent back down after making 31 saves in his NHL debut last night.

Jan 11: With Kevin Lankinen unavailable to dress for the Predators tonight in Toronto, they’ve brought up a top prospect to take his place as they announced that netminder Yaroslav Askarov has been recalled from AHL Milwaukee.  In a corresponding move, defenseman Roland McKeown was sent back to the Admirals.

The 20-year-old was Nashville’s first-round pick in 2020 (11th overall), the highest a goalie had been taken in a decade.  He was dominant in limited action in the KHL over the last couple of seasons and decided to make the jump across the pond for 2022-23.  Askarov is off to a good start to his first season in North America, posting a 2.66 GAA along with a .905 SV% and two shutouts in 22 appearances with Milwaukee.

As for McKeown, this is his second trip to the minors this month, an assignment that was needed as Lankinen remains on the active roster for the time being and no word yet on how long he might be out; the team noted (Twitter link) that the move was for precautionary reasons.  The blueliner has played in five games for Nashville this season – his first NHL action since 2017-18 – and has eight points in 25 games at the AHL level.

Nashville Predators Recall Roland McKeown

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Jan 2: The up-and-down continues for McKeown. After being assigned back down to the AHL yesterday, the Predators have brought him back up today.

Dec 29: The Nashville Predators have announced that defenseman Roland McKeown has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

The move adds a seventh defenseman to the Predators’ roster, giving the team some reinforcements in advance of a back-to-back. McKeown is replacing Jordan Gross, who was sent down on December 21st when veteran blueliner Ryan McDonagh was activated off of injured reserve.

McKeown is now in line to play his fourth NHL game of the season, should head coach John Hynes opt to include him in a game-day lineup.

The 26-year-old had long been a member of the Carolina Hurricanes organization since arriving in a Andrej Sekera mid-season trade. Drafted 50th overall in 2014, McKeown had been seen as a quality prospect earlier in his career, scoring at decent rates in the OHL for the Kingston Frontenacs and then quickly playing a regular role for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

He was never quite able to take the next step in his game and break into the NHL, though. After playing 10 NHL games for the Hurricanes in 2017-18, he didn’t earn any games in the following two years, leading to his exit from the organization.

After spending 2020-21 in Sweden playing for Skelleftea in the SHL, McKeown returned to North America in 2021-22 to serve as an experienced defensive option for the Colorado Eagles, the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate.

This year, McKeown has gotten back to the NHL, playing in three games for the Predators, as previously mentioned. McKeown averaged 13:44 time-on-ice per game, including 1:32 on the penalty kill.

With this recall, McKeown has a chance to put some quality NHL performances on his resume and establish himself as a go-to depth option for the Predators, who have him under contract for next season as well.

Nashville Predators Re-Assign Kevin Gravel, Roland McKeown To AHL

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The early roster shuffling on this Sunday morning continues with the Nashville Predators, who announced they’ve re-assigned defensemen Kevin Gravel and Roland McKeown to the Milwaukee Admirals, their AHL affiliate. Both players had been recalled on an emergency basis on December 12th. No corresponding move was announced, but with Jeremy Lauzon’s return last night, Nashville did have flexibility to send a defenseman down.

Gravel, 30, certainly didn’t go unused during his stint with Nashville. The defenseman made his Predators debut, getting into four games this week, averaging 14:38 while dishing out seven hits and blocking six shots. These games represented Gravel’s first NHL action since he appeared in three with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2019-20. A fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2010, the St. Cloud State alum has spent the bulk of his NHL career to date with the Kings (70 games) and the Edmonton Oilers (36 games).

A fellow Kings draft pick, McKeown, 26, also made his Predators debut this week, getting into three games, averaging 14:33 over that time. A longtime AHL veteran, this was McKeown’s first appearance in the NHL since his only other stint: 10 games with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2017-18. In the time since, the defenseman has appeared with the Charlotte Checkers, Colorado Eagles, and the Admirals in the AHL, as well as 24 games with Skelleftea AIK in the SHL during the 2019-20 season. Through 22 games for Milwaukee this season, McKeown has eight points along with a very healthy +12 rating.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Roland McKeown

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Some defensive depth is heading to Denver. After a season spent overseas on loan in Sweden, former Carolina Hurricane Roland McKeown has signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that it is a one-year, two-way deal for the two-way blue liner at the minimum $750K NHL salary and a $225K AHL salary.

A 2014 second-round pick, McKeown has yet to really pan out in the NHL. Seemingly always on the cusp of a job with the Hurricanes, the 25-year-old only actually has ten NHL games to his credit, all coming back in 2017-18. A plus player at every level with good AHL scoring numbers, as well as now a decent season in the SHL, plus a valued right-handed shot, McKeown seems like a player that would have earned more NHL opportunity, but it has not occured.

While the easy excuse is to cite Carolina’s impressive defensive depth of late, that isn’t going to change in Colorado. The Avalanche are well-stocked on the blue line as well, in both the NHL and AHL. It would seem that he would be no better than ninth on the depth chart to begin the year. However, that is not considering the fact that he is one of only three right-handed defenders with NHL experience in the organization. If McKeown can get off to a strong start and injury befalls a righty, such as injury-prone veteran Erik Johnson, perhaps McKeown will finally get his shot.

Roland McKeown Clears Waivers

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December 31: McKeown has cleared waivers and can continue to play overseas.

December 30: The march to the regular season continues, this time with the Carolina Hurricanes placing a depth defenseman on waivers. Roland McKeown finds himself there today, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, just a few days after signing his new one-year, two-way deal. McKeown has been loaned out to the SHL for the season and needed to clear waivers to remain overseas.

In a normal year, McKeown might be in danger of being claimed by a rebuilding team around the league. The 24-year-old defenseman has put up several successful seasons in the AHL after being a second-round pick in 2014, even spending ten games with the Hurricanes in 2017-18. In this unique campaign though, it seems unlikely that anyone would use a claim that would force him back from Sweden.

The fact that Carolina decided to send McKeown overseas in the first place is a bit ominous, at least when considering the AHL’s future. In the loan release, GM Don Waddell explained that it was “important that [McKeown] get back on the ice” even though he was a strong performer in the minor leagues. That suggests that there is still some doubt the AHL will get off the ground, at least not right away.

If that’s the case, he certainly won’t be the last player somewhere between prospect and depth that ends up on waivers. If a player requires waivers to play in the AHL, they’ll also need it to head overseas, as both are ways off the NHL roster. Those waiver placements would normally happen at the end of training camp in a regular season, but at least in McKeown’s case, the Hurricanes have decided to pull the trigger early in order to get him on the ice in the SHL.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Roland McKeown

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed restricted free agent defenseman Roland McKeown to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a salary of $700K at the NHL level, but it doesn’t seem that will ever be paid out. McKeown has immediately been loaned to Skelleftea AIK of the SHL. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a statement on the move:

Roland had a solid season in the AHL last season and it is important that he get back on the ice to continue his development. Playing in the Swedish league is a great opportunity for him to do just that.

This is an extremely interesting move, given that so many other AHL-bound prospects are still sitting around wondering where they will be playing this season. If the minor league isn’t able to put together a plan, we could see a hurried exodus of talent to Europe in order to fill the few foreign spots available. McKeown looks like he’ll have a head start and should be able to get in a good chunk of development overseas.

The 24-year-old defenseman has played ten games at the NHL level in the past, but spent both 2018-19 and 2019-20 entirely in the AHL. Selected 50th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2014, he arrived in Carolina via a trade for Andrej Sekera less than a year later. While he hasn’t been able to crack the Hurricanes blueline, that may be more to do with the strength of the NHL group than his own play, which though inconsistent at times has still been strong for the Charlotte Checkers. In 61 games last season he recorded 24 points.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19

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Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team release)

D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Roland McKeown

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed another restricted free agent, this time inking Roland McKeown to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal carries an NHL salary of $700K, and will keep him an RFA at its expiry. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a short statement on the deal:

Roland is a reliable defenseman who is also able to contribute offensively. He was a big part of Charlotte’s success last season and we’re excited to bring him back.

McKeown, 23, was the 50th overall pick in 2014 and has been an excellent player for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL over the last several years. Turning pro in 2016, he has the right-handed defenseman has recorded 59 points in 206 AHL games, including a career-high 25-point season in 2018-19. While that lags behind some of the other offensive options in the Carolina system, McKeown has shown solid ability in his own end and may be a part of the NHL roster down the line.

In 2017-18 he got that chance, at least for a little while, and recorded three points in ten games for the Hurricanes. Though he hasn’t made it back, that taste will give McKeown some valuable experience if he finds himself called up this season for whatever reason. The Hurricanes obviously have some of the best defensive depth in the entire NHL, but we’ve seen countless times that that can disappear in an instant.

Interestingly though, McKeown is actually not waiver-exempt any longer and will need to clear in order to go back to Charlotte in the first place. Among those who will be on waivers at the end of training camp he may stick out as a potential option for claim if the team decides to send him down, especially for a rebuilding team looking for right-handed options. Perhaps in just a month’s time he’ll find himself in an even better situation, one that could result in some legitimate NHL playing time to bring to the arbitration table next summer.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/29/18

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With the season-opening roster deadline fast approaching, many teams will be putting the final touches to their rosters this weekend so another busy day of cuts is expected.  We’ll keep tabs on the non-waiver roster cuts here and update this post throughout the day.

Boston Bruins (via CapFriendly)

G Zane McIntyre (to Providence, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (via team Tweet)

D Lawrence Pilut (to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

D Michal Cajkovsky (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Janne Kuokkanen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Saku Maenalanen (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Nicolas Roy (to Charlotte, AHL)

Dallas Stars (per Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge)

F Denis Gurianov (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

D Jake Chelios (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Patrik Rybar (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (per CapFriendly)

G Al Montoya (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Florida Panthers (per team release)

F Anthony Greco (to Springfield, AHL)
G Michael Hutchinson (to Springfield, AHL)
D Julian Melchiori (to Springfield, AHL)

New York Rangers (per CapFriendly)

D Chris Bigras (to Hartford, AHL)
F Peter Holland (to Hartford, AHL)
G Marek Mazanec (to Hartford, AHL)
F Cole Schneider (to Hartford, AHL)
G Dustin Tokarski (to Hartford, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via CapFriendly)

F Brendan Gaunce (to Utica, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)

F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via TSN’s Brian Munz)

F Dennis Everberg (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Seth Griffith (to Manitoba, AHL)
F J.C. Lipon (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Nicolas Kerdiles (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (to Manitoba, AHL)

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