February 06, 2012 10:37 AM
After another quick stint in the NHL, center Riley Nash is rejoining the Checkers this week.
 The Carolina Hurricanes reassigned the 22-year-old to Charlotte on Monday morning after he played in each of the team’s last three games. Nash, who spent time centering the Canes’ second line and playing wing on the first power play unit, did not record a point while averaging around 10 minutes of ice time per game.
Nash’s reassignment comes due to the expected return of Chad LaRose, who had missed the past two games due to injury. Drayson Bowman, recalled two days later than Nash, stays on the NHL roster to fill a spot that is now designated for a player from Charlotte. Bowman picked up an assist in Saturday’s win over Los Angeles.
Though he did not factor into the scoring while with Carolina, Nash, who just completed the second NHL stint of his career and of the season, comes back to the Checkers with 6 points (3g, 3a) in his last six AHL games. With Zac Dalpe, Brett Sutter, Sean Dolan and A.J. Jenks currently centering for the Checkers, one of those players will have to move to wing (all but Dolan have done so this season) or sit out for the team’s next game if the current roster situation holds until Friday.
With Nash coming back and Justin Shugg practicing with the team for the last few weeks, it’s possible that the Checkers could have as many as 14 healthy forwards at their disposal this weekend. They already have seven able-bodied defensemen, although goal, where Mike Murphy remains out with a lower-body injury, is a bigger question mark. Murphy did not practice with the team on Monday.
More on the injury situation to follow Monday’s practice. |
|
