Follow @james_tanner123 Sort of a big day of minor news for the Coyotes today.
The biggest thing - or the most unsurprising - is that Martin Hanzal has been placed on the Injured Reserve. When Hanzal plays, he is a monster who cannot be contained down-low and he keeps getting better - but his development has been stalled because he just cannot stay healthy. Although, Coyotes beat reporter Sarah McLellan says that he won't be out long and may even play Thursday.
I feel bad for the guy - and I feel bad for the team. If Hanzal was more reliable, he'd be the team's number one centre and the team would be a lot better than they are. As it stands though, this is a guy who cannot be counted on. And the worst part is that because of his injury history, he won't bring fair value in a trade.
I predict Hanzal will be traded out of frustration then go on to play three years injury-free putting up strong numbers and haunting the Coyotes for evermore.
The Coyotes have also placed Brandon McMillan and Chris Summers on waivers. Both are young-ish former prospects mired in bottom of the roster rolls and if they are lost, they are lost. Summers is actually intriguing in that he can skate and does not look out of place when called upon, and McMillan is a guy who grinds it out on the fourth line. I like both players but they are the very essence of "replacement level," so who replaces them and what happens, we'll just have to wait and see.
Recalled to the NHL is recently acquired (in the Klinkhammer trade) Philp Samuelsson, brother of Henrik. This is to replace Gormley who is also injured and not going to play tonight.
Back in, after missing a game, is Michalek, so Samuelsson will fill in for Gormley and I assume McMillan being demoted means Crombeen will be in tonight. However, it will be interesting to see what they do with their two open roster spots.
With Samuelsson recalled and Gormley is out, there is no seventh D currently on the roster. I am sure if Gormley is out more than a game another will be recalled, but it's interesting to note that the Coyotes already skate Murphy, Gormley, Stone which is a really, really young half a defense group. Add in that OEL is only 23 a potential trade deadline move of Yandle and/or Michalek that puts Sameuelsson into the line-up and you could have one of the youngest defenses ever.
Either way, all these roster moves should make an otherwise routine mid-season game vs the Sharks a little more interesting that it otherwise would be.
The youth movement may be slow to arrive, but the Coyotes seem to be getting younger - and more fun to watch - by the game.
Thanks for reading.