In addition to the earlier moves to place Mike Commodore on waivers, the Jackets have officially announced that Ethan Moreau, injured against the Phoenix Coyotes, has been placed on Injured Reserve retroactive to January 4th, and that Matt Calvert has been called up to the Jackets.
Calvert has been Springfield’s leading goal scorer this season with 13 goals and 11 assists in 35 games, a -3 +/- rating, and 12 PIMs, a promising start to his pro careeer, and his combination of energy and skill makes me think he’ll probably start on the fourth line against Anaheim, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him bumped up to the second line if they continue to struggle, and perhaps to get some power play time.
That still leaves two “Open” roster slots – the fact that the team sent out a press release for this move, specifically, makes me feel that more news is still coming.
At last report, both Kyle Wilson and Commodore are practicing with the team in Anaheim. As Jeff Little points out, this gives the club the minimum 21 active players needed on the roster for a game, but it’s very unlike Scott Howson to leave those extra slots empty while the team is on the West Coast. Something almost certainly is going to happen.
Tom over at The Dark Blue Jacket speculated on Twitter that one way or another, perhaps Scott Howson wants to get this move done in time for the Jackets’ upcoming home and home against the Red Wings next weekend, and I think he’s got a good point…given how the last home and home against Detroit threw the team off-kilter, perhaps adding a little X-factor to help take them down is just what the doctor ordered.