After clearing waivers at noon Friday, forward Tim Wallace is back in Charlotte.
The reassignment of Wallace, 28, along with the Hurricanes’ decision to send defensive prospect Ryan Murphy back to his junior team in Kitchener, puts Carolina’s roster at the maximum of 23 players. NHL clubs have until 5 p.m. Friday to get down to that amount ahead of the season starting on Saturday.
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As such, no further transactions will be necessary for the time being, with forwards Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe seemingly set to make the opening night roster along with center Jeremy Welsh, who Carolina recalled Friday morning. Defensemen Justin Faulk and Bobby Sanguinetti and goalie Dan Ellis will also remain with the team, though their places were thought to be more secure.
Wallace becomes the 10th player in the organization to clear waivers in the last two days, joining Andreas Nodl, Brett Sutter and seven others who were already playing for the Checkers but needed to go through the necessary procedure to retain their AHL assignments. Of the four forwards still in Carolina who started the season with Charlotte, Bowman and Boychuk would both require waivers to be sent back down, while Dalpe and Welsh would not.
Wallace, who was claimed on waivers last season when Tampa Bay acquired him from the New York Islanders, has 16 points (7g, 9a) and 42 penalty minutes, the latter of which is tied for third on the team, in 37 Checkers games this season. He was enjoying his most productive offensive stretch of the season prior to his initial recall to Carolina’s training camp on Saturday, having posted seven points in his last three games, including a four-point night in his last game on Jan. 11 that marked a career high and tied a franchise record.
His return gives the Checkers a full allotment of 12 forwards. They had previously dipped below that amount due Welsh’s recall, an injury to A.J. Jenks on Thursday and the termination of Matthew Pistilli’s professional tryout contract earlier Friday.
In 73 career NHL games with Pittsburgh, the Islanders and Tampa Bay, Wallace has 11 points (3g, 8a) and 28 penalty minutes.
