It was a busy week for the Hershey Bears away from game action. Friday saw the Chocolate and White lose forward Evgeny Kuznetsov in a deadline trade. Later on in the day, the team dropped their first game in about a week in a 5-3 decision to the Charlotte Checkers. The loss marks three in a row for the Bears despite some significant personnel additions. The team will have another chance against the Checkers on Saturday evening.
Deadline Dealings
Hershey nearly saw the AHL debut of longtime Washington Capital Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Stanley Cup Champion cleared waivers last weekend and joined the Bears for practice on Tuesday. Kuznetsov practiced on the team’s top line on Thursday, taking the bus trip to Charlotte. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be as Washington traded him ahead of the deadline, gaining a third-round pick in the 2025 draft. The effects were felt in the stands as several fans were shown wearing Kuznetsov jerseys during the game.
Washington ultimately proved to be sellers at the deadline, dealing Joel Edmundson, Anthony Mantha, and Kuznetsov for draft picks. Losing Kuznetsov is a blow to Hershey’s center depth, particularly with Mike Sgarbossa unable to return for the remainder of the season. One of Hershey’s leading scorers, Sgarbossa was not exposed to waivers in order to be eligible to play for the Bears. Washington is set to select eight players in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and ten in the 2025 draft. The picks ensure the future of the Hershey Bears is bright indeed.
Better Bears
The Bears are progressively getting players back into their lineup. Friday saw the return of Ethen Frank, Pierrick Dubé, and Riley Sutter to game action. Washington made Hendrix Lapierre, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Hunter Shepard eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs on Friday’s deadline. Shepard is filling in for Darcy Kuemper for a short spell due to illness, and he’ll be back soon enough. However, it’s unlikely the Bears will see Lapierre or Miroshnichenko until the postseason or when the Capitals are done playing.
Hershey should have even more reinforcements in the lineup on Saturday night. Forward Matthew Phillips made the trip to Charlotte to join the team for the second game. It’s the first time Phillips will don the Chocolate and White this season. The former 76-point scorer with the Calgary Wranglers last season looks to add some instant offense to the lineup. Defenseman Lucas Johansen will make his return to the lineup for the first time since January 24 after sustaining an injury.
Charlotte Charades
The Checkers took the first game of the back-to-back by a 5-3 final score. It was an uncharacteristic game for the Bears, who allowed five goals for the first time in a month. The two teams traded blows, but a pair of goals by Will Lockwood proved to be the difference-maker. Chase Priskie had another strong offensive showing against his former team to pull the Bears within a goal, but that was as close as they’d get.
Hershey will look to wrap up the weekend on a high note on Saturday. It’s reasonable to suspect the team is working to get their game back on track with their personnel returning. The second game will be a chance to get back in the win column. By virtue of some help out-of-town from the Bridgeport Islanders, Hershey’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot went down to four. If the Bears win, that number is reduced by two more points and some help out of town might even help them lock in a playoff berth.
