TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: MARCH 7TH, 2024
Mar 7, 2024For fans, the days and hours leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline are often referred to as #SillySzn. It’s a time when teams either look to buy pieces that can help them win a Stanley Cup or sell off pieces to grab draft picks and prospects that one day can lead a team back to contention.
While the headlines are at the NHL level during this time, the ground continues to shift in the AHL as well. For Wolf Pack fans, there is plenty to look forward to over the next 24 hours.
This week, the blog is fully devoted to the Trade Deadline. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
1.) The Wolf Pack has already seen one major addition this week. On Tuesday morning, the parent New York Rangers (NHL) assigned forward Alex Belzile to Hartford. Belize still leads the Wolf Pack in points with 37 (14 g, 23 a) in 43 games despite spending the last few weeks in the NHL.
Not only is Belzile a legit impact player in the AHL, but he’s also a key leader for the Wolf Pack. His addition to the roster is a big one and makes the Wolf Pack a deeper, stronger team up front.
The expectation, as of now, is that Belzile will return to the lineup on Friday night against the Providence Bruins. That’s a big deal for interim Head Coach Steve Smith.
2.) The Rangers are likely to keep Belzile with the Wolf Pack thanks to their trade with the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. The Rangers acquired forward Alex Wennberg from the Kraken in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft (originally belonging to Dallas).
Wennberg took to the ice at Rangers’ practice this morning and is wearing number 91 with the club. His addition gives the Rangers 13 forwards on the NHL roster. Again, that’s a likely sign that Belzile’s return to Hartford isn’t just a paper transaction.
3.) Speaking of paper transactions, there will be plenty of those around the NHL/AHL on Friday. Remember, a player must be on an AHL roster at 3:00 p.m. on Friday to be eligible for the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Both Adam Edström and Matt Rempe do not require waivers and are on the Rangers’ roster. The Rangers will need to send both players to the Wolf Pack and keep them on the roster until 3:00 p.m. tomorrow to ensure that they are eligible for a potential 2024 Calder Cup Playoff run.
The Rangers could recall both players at 3:01 p.m. and they would both still be eligible for the playoffs.
There are no promises that anything will happen on this front, but it is something to keep an eye on over the next 24 hours.
4.) Of note on this front, the Rangers did not place forward Jonny Brodzinski on waivers on Thursday, meaning that he can’t be on the Wolf Pack’s roster at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. That means Brodzinski will not be eligible for the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
5.) How busy can the trade deadline be? Last season, the Wolf Pack were involved in seven trades in the six days leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. So far, the Wolf Pack have not been involved in any trades this season.
During the 2021-22 campaign, the Pack were involved in two trades leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, then were involved in one deal at the AHL Trade Deadline the following week.
Again, there are no promises of activity, but usually, a move or two involving the Wolf Pack hits the transaction wire around this time. That’ll be something to watch over the next 24 hours.
6.) The AHL Trade Deadline takes place exactly one week after the NHL Trade Deadline. That means Friday, March 15th, at 3:00 p.m., is the last day for AHL trades and NHL clubs to loan players to other AHL organizations.
An example of this would be two years ago when the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a trade at the AHL Trade Deadline that sent forward Maxim Letunov to Hartford in exchange for defenseman Tarmo Reunanen, who went to the Chicago Wolves. Each player’s NHL rights were dealt, but they just switched AHL clubs and were not eligible for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
7.) Of course, the movement doesn’t technically end when the two Trade Deadlines pass. As college and junior seasons end, prospects from those teams will be joining AHL clubs.
Last season, the Wolf Pack saw Edström, Adam Sýkora, and Brett Berard join the team and jump into action when their respective seasons ended. They weren’t alone in that regard either, as Bryce McConnell-Barker, Talyn Boyko, and Maxim Barbashev all found their way to Hartford.
There are a few candidates to join the Wolf Pack once their respective seasons end.
8.) The college and junior free agency route is also one that could be explored by the Rangers and Wolf Pack. Two seasons ago, the Rangers used this route to add both Bobby Trivigno and Brandon Scanlin to the organization. Both have been solid contributors to the Wolf Pack since the spring of 2022.
AHL contracts for college and junior free agents could be in play as well. Both Alex Whelan and Zach Giuttari, recent Wolf Pack players, joined the organization via this route in recent seasons.
9.) Internal additions will be a big storyline for the Wolf Pack. The club got forwards Anton Blidh and Karl Henriksson back from injury last weekend, and both players had an immediate impact.
Forward Matej Pekar is currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury and could return to action shortly. Defenseman Zach Berzolla is now healthy and could be an option as early as this weekend.
Veteran defenseman Connor Mackey remains out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, but he could be an option for the club at some point during the stretch drive.
Of course, veteran forward Riley Nash could be an option down the stretch too. Like Mackey, he remains listed as week-to-week. Nash is dealing with a lower-body injury.
10.) So, how do you stay connected tomorrow when it comes to Wolf Pack news? You can follow me on X at @AlexThomasHWP and you can follow the team at @WolfPackAHL. Stay tuned to www.hartfordwolfpack.com as well, as we’ll have all of the updates you need if and when pieces move.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.