In an interesting decision for Thursday’s game versus the Coyotes, the Jackets have recalled Maxim Mayorov from Springfield, perhaps to take the place of Ethan Moreau, who did not skate today, and may be nursing another injury.
Mayorov, a 2007 draft pick, is nearing the end of his entry level NHL deal after playing in the AHL (with some brief NHL callups) in 2008-09 and ’09-10. While it seems a bit strange, on the surface, to call him up over a player like Kyle Wilson, David Savard, or Tomas Kubalik, Mayorov (unlike the others) is in a position where the organization must get ready to fish or cut bait, contract wise, and the front office hasn’t seen much of him since the pre-season.
Mayorov has yet to make a major impact at the NHL level, but it is worth noting that he’s having his best year in North America so far this year in the AHL with 18G, 13A and 16 PIMs in 65 games, and it may be possible that he’s finally getting adjusted to North American style hockey.
A strong performance, or even an acceptable one, over the next few games, will help determine if Mayorov is a player to qualify, or a piece of collateral to use as part of potential deals leading up to the NHL draft and beyond this offseason, and I would expect that if the team uses their remaining AHL callups, it will be for similar players (Jonathan Sigalet or Brent Regner would fit this category).
It may not please fans who hoped for a taste of the future in the form of Savard or Moore to help get them excited, but it is another sign that Scott Howson is working on moves to best serve the organization going forward, and not necessarily driving ticket sales.