The lone Duck placed on waivers Tuesday, defenseman Nathan Oystrick, went unclaimed by the other 29 NHL teams. A team spokesperson relayed today that the Ducks will buy out his contract and are on the hook for approximately $366,000, to be paid out over the next two seasons.
Tuesday was a deadline of sorts for NHL teams to part amicably with players who are under contract beyond Thursday, the beginning of the free-agent period.
Several players were placed on waivers, including the Ducks’ Nathan Oystrick. He was joined on the waiver wire by former Ducks forward Petteri Nokelainen (now in Phoenix), former Sharks forward Jonathan Cheechoo (Ottawa), along with D Jim Vandermeer (Phoenix), RW Ales Kotalik (Calgary) and D Ville Koistinen (Florida).
If they go unclaimed, they could be bought out of their
contracts and become unrestricted free agents Thursday, when the
free-agency period opens at 9 a.m.
Oystrick, acquired at midseason from the Atlanta Thrashers in the Evgeny Artyukhin deal, was the lone Duck placed on waivers. The 27-year-old appeared in three games for the Ducks in April, going scoreless, and 43 with the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves.
Consider this a belated, Ducks-related, American Hockey League playoff update.
Since the Ducks do not have an AHL affiliate this year, tracking their prospects’ postseason progress is a more haphazard endeavor than usual. Three (Dan Sexton, Brian Salcido and Mat Clark) are with the Manitoba Moose, who tonight lost Game 1 of their seven-game series against the Hamilton Bulldogs. Needless to say, each was held scoreless.
On Wednesday, defenseman Nathan Oystrick had two assists in the Chicago Wolves’ 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Admirals in Game 1 of their series. Shawn Weller, playing for the Abbotsford Heat, contributed the second of three goals in a 3-2 win over the Rochester Americans. Heat defenseman Mark Mitera was held scoreless.
The Ducks’ ECHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, begin play in the second round of the Kelly Cup playoffs tomorrow against the Stockton Thunder. Kyle Calder, MacGregor Sharp, Ryan Donally, Maxime Macenauer, Matt McCue, Eric Regan, Stu Bickel, Timo Pielmeier and J-P Levasseur are all competing in the series for Bakersfield.
Jonas Hiller made 49 saves over 65 minutes, and Bobby Ryan scored a pair of goals, but Mike Modano stole the show in the Stars’ shootout win.
Modano, who has spent his entire 20-year career with the Dallas organization, electrified the crowd by scoring the game-tying goal with 1:47 left in regulation of what could be his final game at American Airlines Center. He scored again in the second shootout round against Hiller, then Jere Lehtinen sealed it with a goal in the third round.
Ryan’s team-leading 33rd and 34th goals of the season allowed the Ducks to salvage a point on a night when they were outshot 51-19. His second goal, a sharp-angled power-play tally, gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead at 15:16 of the third period.
With several veterans remaining home, Randy Carlyle went with his youngest lineup of the season. Nick Bonino, Nathan Oystrick, Brendan Mikkelson, Brett Festerling and Dan Sexton got long looks while Ryan Getzlaf (ankle) and Lubomir Visnovsky (hand), as well as healthy scratches Scott Niedermayer, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne and Todd Marchant were held behind.
Saku Koivu has perfected the 6-on-4, third-period, game-tying goal.
On Saturday, he also found the perfect shootout move.
A late power-play goal by Koivu sent the Ducks into overtime for the second straight night. But unlike after Friday’s shootout loss to Vancouver, Anaheim was in a celebratory mood after Koivu lifted a forehand past Jonathan Quick in the third shootout round against the Kings.
Continue reading “Ducks 2, Kings 1, SO.” »
The Ducks are burning up the transaction wires.
Shortly after announcing the recall of Joey MacDonald (and a day after promoting Nathan Oystrick), Anaheim made another nod toward its future by signing 2009 first-round draft pick Peter Holland to a three-year entry level contract.
The 19-year-old center just completed his third season with Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League, notching career highs of 30 goals and 80 points in 59 games. Holland (career statistics) ranked second on the Storm in both assists and points, third in power play goals (9) and fourth in goals. The 6-2, 187-pound center also appeared in five OHL playoff contests, scoring three goals and eight points, before Guelph was eliminated by London in five games (4-1).
The Ducks also announced that defenseman Brendan Mikkelson has bent sent back to Toronto of the American Hockey League, presumably so they can get a look at Oystrick tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.
Continue reading “Ducks sign Holland, demote Mikkelson.” »
Defenseman Nathan Oystrick has been recalled from the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves. The 27-year-old has appeared in 53 career NHL games but none for the Ducks since he was acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers for Evgeny Artyukhin on March 1.
The 6-foot, 205-pound defenseman has seven goals and 23 points with a plus-5 rating and 96 penalty minutes in 43 games for the Wolves this year.
A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Oystrick has appeared in four AHL seasons with Chicago, collecting 37 goals, 114 points, a plus-30 rating and 317 PIM in 205 career games. He has also added three goals and 17 points in 39 AHL playoff games, helping lead the Wolves to the 2008 Calder Cup.