As they prepare to hit the road for a pair of contests in Texas later this week, the Checkers are again shuffling their roster in hopes of stringing together some wins.
The Checkers’ blue line has been ever-changing through the first quarter of the season, with injuries and call ups ravaging the team’s group of defensemen. Today’s practice brought a piece of good news on that front, however, as Rasmus Rissanen was a full participant for the first time since sustaining an injury that has kept him out of the last nine games. Head coach Mark Morris is hopeful that the defenseman will be ready to play in Texas this week, something that would certainly be beneficial for the team.
“We’re hopeful that his veteran presence is going to help to shore things up and settle down our defensive corps,” said Morris.
With Rissanen’s return likely on the horizon, the Checkers assigned rookie Tyler Ganly, who has only played six games this season, to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. That leaves the Checkers with seven D heading into Wednesday’s contest, though today’s practice brought about another development on that front as well.
Jake Chelios has been on the Checkers’ blue line for 19 of the last 20 games since being a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season. This morning, however, he took the ice as a forward, skating on a line with David Wohlberg and Kyle Hagel.
“Chelly can help us on the power play,” said Morris. “He knows how to play forward and he gives us some flexibility. He’s a pretty creative guy with the puck on his stick. After we spoke about it, he was willing to give it a try.”
Chelios has mentioned before that he used to play forward before converting to defense. He has shown an offensive flair on the blue line so far this season, ranking second among team defensemen in scoring. By getting him reps up front, Morris can further utilize Chelios’ offense while also having an extra defenseman-by-trade around, giving the team options.
“I think that it’s a good way to have seven D in the lineup, but also have the flexibility,” said Morris. “It’s nice to know that if somebody is struggling out there on D, he can jump right in and pick up where he left off.”
Moving Chelios to forward has implications for other players on the roster as well.
Mike Cornell, currently on the team via a professional tryout contract, has been a force in his short time in Charlotte this season. In just nine games, the 27-year-old has racked up 40 penalty minutes, trailing only Kyle Hagel for the team lead. Cornell has been the team’s physical edge during his stint, and that’s something Morris wants to see more of. With Chelios up front, Cornell can keep his spot in the lineup.
“Chelly has played pretty well for us, and at the same time so has Mike Cornell,” said Morris. “They’re two big bodies and after getting in really heavy, physical games this weekend, we feel it’s important to have that kind of presence.”
At forward, the Checkers received a big boost heading into this week’s matchups when Brock McGinn was assigned from Carolina following Sunday’s game. McGinn has scored two goals in three of his 10 AHL games this season, with his six markers tying him for second on the Checkers.
While they were facing one of the stingiest teams in the league, the Checkers were only able to total two goals in two contests this past weekend against the Ontario Reign. The addition of McGinn should be a nice shot in the arm for the team’s offense.
“Brock’s been a really good player for us,” said Morris. “We obviously missed him when he was gone. He’s not only a guy that competes every shift, but he’s a guy that plays special teams and he can score. He’s well-versed in all aspects of the game.”
The second-year-pro’s presence on the roster should have impacts that reach beyond the scoresheet as well.
“He’s a real character guy,” said Morris. “When you see him go out there and lay it all on the line every shift, it’s contagious.”
With McGinn back from Carolina for the time being and Chelios drawing in from the blue line, the Checkers had 14 healthy forwards at practice, as well as T.J. Hensick, who appears to be getting closer and closer to returning from his injury. He skated on a fifth line between Sergey Tolchinsky and Erik Karlsson, who both were wearing yellow, though it was likely just to distinguish the line as Morris made no mention of the two rookies being hurt. Where Karlsson and Tolchinsky fit into the lineup for this week appears to still be up in the air.
“Hensick was out there today skating and he needed a couple linemates, so we figured he could help those younger guys in the skate,” said Morris. “We’ll reassess after today’s practice and see what we’re going to do for our next game.”
Also taking line rushes this morning was Ryan Rashid, who made his AHL debut on Sunday. The second-year-pro was quickly rushed in after Brendan Woods suffered an injury Saturday night and stepped right into the lineup, playing his fourth game in as many nights.
“He’s been a steady performer for his team and he’s got a great opportunity here,” said Morris.
Rashid was invited to the Checkers’ training camp prior to this season, just being edged out of a spot by David Wohlberg. Still, that time spent with the team was enough for the Checkers to keep him around.
“I was pretty comfortable coming in since I was here for camp,” said Rashid. “I think they had some confidence in me from camp, I think I played pretty well there. I’m just glad I’m here now and I’m trying to earn my spot.”
Despite the growing number of available forwards for the Checkers, all signs points to Rashid getting more opportunities to show his worth at this level, especially after some much-needed time off.
“I think the rest will give us a truer indication as to what he brings,” said Morris. “We’re hoping with a couple days of rest here, he can really bring his A game.”
