BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – This is the time of the year when nothing is written in stone and movements sometimes make little sense.
At 11:40 PM this past Wednesday, the New York Rangers announced they had acquired goaltender Jean-Francois Berube from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for future considerations.
Another goalie?
It did answer why Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch wouldn’t commit to naming his starter for Friday at Wednesday’s practice.
The future considerations were announced on Thursday morning when goalie, Tom McCollum, and forward Lewis Zerter-Gossage were sent to Lehigh Valley to complete the deal.
Team captain Steve Fogarty hopes to break the “Captain-Trade-Jinx” there past four years running. He’s just going about his business and leading the team.
“It’s pretty weird that’s it happened every year around this time,” Fogarty said with a chuckle. “I’m the captain now and looking forward to finishing the year with this group.”
The trade of young Joey Keane was certainly felt.
“It’s the tough part of our business, losing guys like Joey. He was a big part of our team. He was a heck-of-a player for us and he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Getting prepared for the weekend is important for the second place Wolf Pack and their 29-13-5-5 record (68 points). They’ll seek to claim the top spot back from the Hershey Bears, who hold on first place by just two points. They’ll look to fight off the Providence Bruins who trail the Pack by four points and the Charlotte Checkers who are just six points back.
“It’s been a while since we had a three-in-three. (It’s) time to start separating from the pack and we certainly have to get off to a good start to the weekend in Springfield,” said Fogarty.
On the road, the Wolf Pack is not scoring the game’s first goal and given those goals way too early in some games.
“That first (goal) is key. (It) gives you momentum, and in a place like Springfield, the first goal is huge. That’s a good place to get things (for the weekend) started.”
Knoblauch mused that the team’s worst road efforts came when they had overnight trips and had too much free time on their hands.
“Sometimes, it’s tough to sit around all day. Maybe there’s something to it. I guess the shorter (the road trip) the better.”
With games in Springfield and Bridgeport, it certainly would fit the bill.
Darren Raddysh, who lost his primary defensive position a few games back. He’s now paired with Libor Hajek and the pair is functioning better.
“We have had a pretty good corps group of seven and eight guys all season, and we’re improving every game and that’s the key. We’ve really worked on our breakouts and getting them better as long as they keep things simple, we do better.”
Dealing with the whole trade deadline scenario for Raddysh, who was traded for Peter Holland last spring, is something he knows all too well.
“Never a fun thing when it happens. He contributed so much to this team. We wish him the best.”
The one thing Knoblauch can control is a weekend is a home game sandwiched in between two road games. Knoblauch tries to soften their road woes.
“When you look on average, we’re about where others are not great, but not that bad and not where we want it to be.
“Maybe you can see a trend when we spend too much time in a hotel. That’s our issue that we need to address, taking a six-hour bus ride and staying in that hotel. We don’t have any more of those just day trips,” remarked Knoblauch with a smile.
One area that is still not good is the health of center Boo Nieves. Knoblauch sounds cautiously optimistic, but his body language said otherwise.
“It’s still day-to-day. We don’t have him in the lineup now, but hopefully will have him in the lineup, maybe next week.”
Nieves still showed some speed early in practice, but took a long break at the bench and then resumed his drills in his yellow no-contact jersey and was the first off the ice for practice.
Clearly, Nick Jones and fourth-line center Shawn McBride have to pick up the slack with Nieves not able to.
“Nick is taking some of the big draws on five-on-five and as well during PK time. He (Jones) scored a critical goal in the second period in Lehigh Valley for us. McBride relied on him to take those defensive zone draws on the left side (which Nieves did), PK duty and his regular shift. A centerman is a key part of that fourth line which has played so very well for us recently. Overall both players for first-year pros have done very well for us.”
A big weekend is set to begin for the Wolf Pack
KEANE TRADE
The trade wasn’t a surprise, as the Rangers have an overabundance of defenseman in the organization and more coming online in the next month or two. However, Joey Keane wasn’t the rearguard that was expected to be traded.
Keane was dealt to Carolina on Tuesday and was reassigned to Charlotte for RW Julien Gauthier. Keane was a third-round 88th overall selection at the NHL Draft.
“We heard it might happen for a while and found it when we were at the end (of practice). Patty (assistant GM Pat Boller) came over and pulled him over.”
Knoblauch was like a parent watching their kid go off to college.
“He’s played very well here for us and somebody wanted him. I wish him all the success in the world.”
Keane, one of the team’s two representatives at the AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario last month, is a right-handed shot that the Rangers lacked in that department on defense. He displayed solid puck handling, passing, and shooting skills and strong play in his own zone.
Keane playing with veteran Mason Geersten for the vast majority of the season. He was often on the second pair behind Vincent LoVerde and Raddysh.
In 49 games, he had eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points and was just a minus-3.
Coming back to Hartford is a big body forward that the Rangers lacked. That player is 6’4, 230 lb. Julien Gauthier who’s in his third professional season. He’ll be staying in New York for the time being.
Playing 7:18 on Wedneday in Chicago, Gauthier had a shot on goal and wore jersey #12.
“It’s a trade that helps the Rangers for what they need, a big, talented body who can score goals, but we’re not getting the benefit of the trade and that happens sometimes.”
Gauthier was a first-round pick (21st overall) of the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s from Val D’Or (QMJHL) though that didn’t pan out for them. In 44 games this season, he had a team-leading 27 goals, good for fourth-best in the AHL. He has 37 points, good for third-best on the Checkers. He played on last year’s Calder Cup championship team where he had 27 goals and 41 points in 75 games. He also played 17 post-season games with five goals and eight points.
The Pointe-aux-Trembles native played for two Canada World Junior teams where he gained seven points in seven games in the 2017 tournament.
Over the last few weeks, we have heard from several sources that K’Andre Miller, currently at the University Wisconsin (Big 10) a first-round pick in 2018, might leave after his sophomore season with the Badgers once the collegiate playoffs end. He has seven goals and 16 points in 39 games and a minus seven.
He was the captain of the US WJC team that played in the Czech Republic.
Nils Lundkvist, who had a strong training camp was sent back to Europe because of the lack of roster space in Hartford once Lulea HF (Sweden-SHL) season is done when the LeMat trophy playoffs that start next month are concluded will he likely be here. He has six goals and 24 points in 36 games for the and is a plus 17 for the top team in the 14 team Swedish Hockey League. He playing big minutes for the Sweden WJC team back in early January.
The third could be defenseman Matt Robertson of Edmonton (WHL) who at 6’4 adds some size and offense in 51 games has 12 goals and 39 points. The Oil Kings have clinched a playoff ticket with 17 games left in the season are in first place in the Central Division with 85 points and second-best in the WHL behind Portland.
A deep playoff run and possible Memorial Cup berth make it more likely he will not be seen till training camp next season.
Saturday’s game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins is Hartford Hockey Heritage Night and there are six slated hockey players who will be on hand to help in the celebration.
Former Wolf Pack assistant coach of two seasons Joe Mormina still resides in the area. The lovable Stefan Cherneski, from the early years of the Wolf Pack, and whose 40 game career was cut short because of a serious knee injury.
Joining them will be Cheshire native Matt Generous, who had an outstanding collegiate career at St. Lawrence (ECACHL). A brief AHL career with the Portland Pirates, before heading to Europe where he had 10 good years with Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL) before concussion issues forced an end to his career.
Howie Rosenblatt, who bounced around between the ECHL where in 178 games he had 146 points and 850 PM and AHL he had 25 games with 75 PM with Providence. The rugged forward ended his playing career with the UHL New Haven Knights with 12 games and nine points and 30 PM.
Jon DiSalvatore, a South Windsor native had an 814 game AHL career played with Lowell and Worcester and ended his career with the Springfield Falcons.
Bob Lachance, a Bristol native had a 168 game AHL career with Worcester and 17 games with the Sound Tigers. Then a few years in the old IHL before it folded and then went off to Switzerland for several seasons and concluded his career with a few games in the Federal League included one game with the rowdy, raucous Danbury Trashers.
His brother Scott had an 819 NHL game career mostly with the islanders and presently the US Scouting Director for the New Jersey.
-Toronto Marlies center Mason Marchment, the son of former Hartford Whaler, Bryan Marchment, was dealt to the Florida Panthers for forward, Denis Malgin. Each player has spent time in the AHL in Toronto and Springfield respectively this season.
Marchment was assigned to the Thunderbirds Thursday.
-Two other AHL trades happened yesterday, a broken down Laval Rocket team sent veterans Phil Varone and Pittsburgh native Riley Barber to the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins for Joseph Blandisi and Jake Lucchin.
Danick Martel was traded from Tampa Bay to Florida for major Wolf Pack killer Anthony Greco and reassigned to Springfield.
Greco was assigned to Syracuse.
-Former Avon Old Farms Winged Beaver, Tyler Madden, a sophomore at Northeastern (HE) in a rare divisional trade saw his rights traded from Vancouver to Los Angeles along with Tim Schaller for Tyler Toffoli.
Madden was a third-round pick 68th overall in 2018 of the Canucks.
-Ex-Pack Matt Register was sent to Allen (ECHL) by Iowa.
-Drake Rymsha, son of former New Haven Nighthawk Andy was recalled from Ft. Wayne (ECHL) by Ontario.
-Former CT Whale Christian Thomas exits Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL) and signs with SC Bern (Switzerland-LNA) for the rest of the year.
-Ex-UCONN Husky captain last year Miles Gendron was recalled by Ottawa from Brampton to Belleville and then reassigned to Reading (ECHL).
-Another ex-UCONN Husky captain defenseman David Drake after going minus two against Hartford last Saturday has been reassigned from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to the Reading Royals.
-A pair of former Sound Tigers reassigned back to their AHL. Aaron Ness by Arizona to Tucson and Casey Bailey from Vancouver to Utica.
A third, David Quenneville was traded to Binghamton on Monday.
-Lias Andersson Watch: Four games two assists and a minus-2.
-From the Wolf Pack first season, a true classic commercial. See it HERE.
