The Hurricanes ' Wednesday waiver placements not disrupt the Checkers current roster. In fact, they'll help.
Immediately after they cleared waivers at noon today, meaning they were not claimed by another NHL team, Carolina assigned forwards Brett Sutter and Andreas Nodl to Charlotte. Both are expected to be available for tonight's game against Grand Rapids along with Justin Peters, Brett Bellemore, Justin Krueger and Chris Terry. Nicolas Blanchard, Marc-Andre Gragnani and Jerome Samson also cleared, though they are not expected to play due to injury.
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Additionally, the Hurricanes placed forward Tim Wallace on waivers at noon Thursday. NHL teams will have 24 hours to submit a claim for his services, after which time he would likely return to the Checkers. He is not eligible to play in tonight's game against the Griffins.
Tonight's game, in which the Checkers aim to extend their franchise-record win streak to seven games, would be Nodl's first in the AHL since April 9, 2010, with the Adirondack Phantoms. The former Philadelphia Flyers prospect, who the Hurricanes claimed on waivers last season, has 55 points (21g, 34a) in 107 career AHL games.
"I've never met him, but I've seen a lot of him on TV with Carolina and remember him from when he was with Adirondack," said Daniels, prior to Nodl's assignment. "He's a big winger with some skill, and he would be able to help us if he comes down."
Nodl is on a one-way contract, meaning he likely did not expect to start this season in the AHL after spending the lockout playing for Innsbruck in his native Austria.|
"I'm not sure how he would handle it, but he would definitely have something to play for," said Daniels. "He'd want to get back up top, and the only way to do that is by playing well here."
In 48 games with Carolina, Nodl (6-foot-1, 196 pounds) posted three goals and four assists. He has 35 points (15g, 20a) in 175 career NHL appearances with the Hurricanes and Philadelphia, who drafted him in the second round (39th overall) in 2006.
Now that Sutter has cleared, he will return to the Checkers' lineup against Grand Rapids tonight. Peters, among the bigger claim risks from Wednesday's waiver club after posting his third shutout in four games later that night, will also remain with the team.
"It's different with goalies because NHL teams can only have 23 players on their roster and most teams don't carry three goalies," said Daniels of Peters. "I'm not sure what other teams are looking for."
Wallace, 28, spent four days in Carolina's training camp after joining the team in its initial round of recalls on Saturday. The rugged winger, who has 73 games of NHL experience with Pittsburgh, the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay, was claimed on waivers as recently as last season when the Lightning brought him in from New York.
