In today’s News & Notes, Victor Mete has been recalled by the Montreal Canadiens, Carter Hart is expected to get his first career NHL start and Taylor Hall is set to return to action.
Related: NHL News & Notes: Hakstol, Dzingel & More
Canadiens Recall Mete
The Montreal Canadiens made two transactions Monday night following their 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins. The Canadiens recalled Mete from the Laval Rocket after the sophomore defender spent seven games with the team’s AHL affiliate. In a corresponding move, the team would send Noah Juulsen to Laval.
Mete was sent to the Rocket earlier this season after playing in 23 games with the Canadiens to start the year. The 20-year-old would record four assists in those games. He also played in 49 games with the Canadiens last season, recording seven assists and failing to find the back of the net in his rookie season.
The Canadiens gave Mete his first taste of the AHL this season after he had a somewhat slow start to the year. With the team struggling to produce on the power play, the addition of a player like Mete could be helpful as he is an inherently better puck-mover than Juulsen.
At the same time, Juulsen will likely log big minutes in Laval while recovering from his facial injuries that are requiring him to wear a cage.
Hart Gets First NHL Start
The Philadelphia Flyers have been subject of some major news in recent weeks. There was the original firing of general manager Ron Hextall and the hiring of Chuck Fletcher to fill the role after a short search took place.
This was followed by the news that the team was firing Dave Hakstol as the head coach and replacing him with Scott Gordon under the interim tag, though the original reports had Joel Quenneville as the man being hired for the job.
This time around, the news is more positive for the Flyers as Carter Hart is going to be starting his first career NHL game Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Hart is one of the best goaltending prospects on the planet and could potentially be the savior for the goalie position in Philadelphia. At 20 years old, it seems like that may be a lot of pressure to shoulder. Still, Hart has made it clear time and time again that he is more than capable of stepping up to the challenge.
Improving every season in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips, Hart would finish the 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons with increasingly impressive totals.
He’d finish 2015-16 with a 35-23-4 record with a 2.14 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. He’d follow that up with a 32-11-2 record with a 1.99 goals-against average and .923 save percentage before dominating in his final WHL season with a 1.60 goals-against average and .947 save percentage while going 31-6-3.
In the AHL this season, Hart has a 9-5-1 record with a 3.05 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. While the numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, consider the fact that he’s still only 17 games into his professional career.
Hall Returns for Devils
Hall will return for the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday after missing the team’s last two games, according to Lance Hornby. Hall has been out with a lower-body injury but will look to get back on track Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 29 games this season, Hall hasn’t missed a beat from his Hart Trophy-winning season just one year ago. He already has eight goals and 31 points in 29 games and has continued to prove that he is one of the very best players not only at his position, but across the board.