Despite being among their first cuts earlier this week, Jeremy Welsh is getting another look with the Hurricanes.
Recent Checkers News
Carolina recalled the rookie center on Friday, three days after he rejoined the team to play back-to-back games against the Grand Rapids Griffins in Charlotte on Wednesday and Thursday. Welsh, 24, was originally among the Hurricanes’ first wave of training camp invites on Saturday and is expected to be back with the team for its final preseason practice in Raleigh today.
Assuming Tim Wallace rejoins the Checkers if he were to clear waivers at noon Friday, the move would leave Carolina with 24 on its roster – one more than it will be allowed to - have for its season opener at Florida on Saturday. That means another transaction that would affect the Checkers could still be on its way before Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline, unless the team meets the limit by reassigning top prospect Ryan Murphy to his junior club in Kitchener.
In addition to Welsh, forwards Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe are still fighting for spots with Carolina, while defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti looks set to stay on the roster to start the season. Defenseman Justin Faulk and goalie Dan Ellis, the only other players on the team who started the season with the Checkers, are assured of their spots in the NHL barring some sort of drastic change.
All players in that group except for Dalpe and Faulk would require waivers in order to return to Charlotte. Carolina has waived 10 players in the last two days, including Wallace.
In 39 games with Charlotte this season, Welsh has 13 points (6g, 7a). He did not record a point in two games following his reassignment from Carolina earlier this week. An appearance in Carolina’s game on Saturday would be his second in the NHL, following a one-game debut at the conclusion of his college career last season. Coincidentally, that game was also at Florida.
