Minor Transactions: 12/13/16
Here are today’s minor roster moves:
- With Peter Holland and Josh Jooris being added to the roster in recent days, the Coyotes had to make a roster move to get back to 23 players. They announced that they have assigned center Laurent Dauphin to Tucson of the AHL. Dauphin has three points (2-1-3) in 20 games with Arizona this season and has a goal in his lone minor league appearance as well.
- The Canadiens announced that they have assigned right winger Sven Andrighetto and defenseman Mark Barberio to their AHL affiliate in St. John’s. Both players were recalled last week; Andrighetto had a pair of assists in three games after getting called while Barberio was a healthy scratch. Montreal is now carrying only 18 skaters on their active roster but are off until Friday so they will save a bit of salary cap space with these moves before bringing them or other players back up later in the week.
- The Wild have recalled right winger Teemu Pulkkinen from AHL Iowa, per a team release. Minnesota claimed him off waivers from Detroit in October but struggled with just one goals in eight games and eventually cleared waivers to be sent to the minors. He has fared better at the minor league level with 15 points in 15 games and was the AHL’s Player of the Week two weeks ago.
- Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield has been sent back to Bridgeport of the AHL, the team announced (Twitter link). The 24 year old has made the most of limited ice time with New York, picking up a goal and two assists in just three games while averaging under 12 minutes per game. He has that same statline in 14 games with the AHL’s Sound Tigers.
Central Notes: Maurice, Colorado Trade Talk, Panarin, Toews, Schwartz
While there are some mitigating factors to their struggles, some of the blame for the struggles of the Winnipeg Jets this season has to fall at the feet of head coach Paul Maurice, argues Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun. After missing the playoffs last season, the Jets have only shown marginal improvements in offense (despite the presence of Patrik Laine whose 17 goals sit third league-wide) while their special teams play is largely the same; the power play is slightly better and the penalty kill is a little bit worse.
The Jets have had a tough schedule so far, leading the league in games played with 32. As a result, they’re facing some lighter weeks ahead which Wyman suggests will be critical for Maurice’s future. If they pick up their play and get back into the postseason hunt, that might be enough to demonstrate that he remains the right coach for the job. If they don’t do that and some of the concerns continue (such as being one of the least discipline teams in the league), then questions about his future will certainly start to swirl. Improved goaltending would certainly help as well as the Jets have a team save percentage of just .901, ranking them tied for 26th overall.
Other notes from the Central Division:
- The Avalanche are looking to be active on the trade market, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. While it’s believed that GM Joe Sakic is not willing to move center Nathan MacKinnon, all other Colorado players could be open for discussion. Garrioch suggests that the pressure is off of Sakic to win this season with the departure of Patrick Roy which could make them a team to watch between now and the trade deadline.
- Chicago left winger Artemi Panarin is in some rare company, writes CSN Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis. With his goal against Dallas on Sunday, Panarin hit 100 points for his career, doing so in just 110 games. Panarin is only the 27th player in league history to reach 100 points in that few of games. Coincidentally, the last player to do so was teammate Patrick Kane.
- The Blackhawks will have center Jonathan Toews return to the lineup tonight, reports Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The captain has missed the last nine games with a back injury but despite the layoff, he doesn’t anticipate having to play reduced minutes.
- The Blues are shifting Jaden Schwartz to center tonight against the Predators, notes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He has played primarily on the left wing this season but the swap allows St. Louis to load up their three top scorers on one line in Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Robby Fabbri. The move also allows Alex Steen to return to his natural left wing position, a spot he hasn’t played in more than a month.
Jordan Staal, Elias Lindholm Cleared To Return
The Carolina Hurricanes are set to get a pair of key players back in the lineup tonight as centers Jordan Staal and Elias Lindholm are expected to play when they take on Vancouver, reports Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer (Twitter links).
Staal has missed the last seven games with a concussion and had suffered a setback in his recovery just last week. He has just nine points in 21 games despite playing a top six role but is among the league leaders in faceoff percentage at 60.1% and logs over 18 minutes of ice time, third among Carolina forwards.
As for the Lindholm, the 22 year old has missed five straight games with a lower body injury. He’s off to a particularly slow start with just two goals and five points through 23 games. The former first rounder (fifth overall in 2013) has put up 39 points in each of the last two seasons.
Staal and Lindholm are expected to comprise two-thirds of a new look line alongside Joakim Nordstrom, Alexander adds in a separate tweet.
[Related: Hurricanes Depth Chart]
Senators Notes: MacArthur, Goaltending, Harpur, Lazar
As he continues to try to recover from a concussion, Senators left winger Clarke MacArthur is set to undergo a neuro-psych exam that will be a significant factor in determining when he returns to the lineup, writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. The difference between this test and a typical baseline concussion test is that MacArthur will also be evaluated in on-ice drills to determine his readiness to graduate towards more rigorous rehab.
MacArthur has been skating with the Senators and as of late has moved onto most of the regular practice drills aside from those that require significant physical contact. As a result, he’s targeting a return to the lineup sometime in January, assuming he passes this test without any issues.
The 31 year old has yet to play this season after being concussed on a hit from defenseman Patrick Sieloff in an intrasquad game back in training camp. Going back to last year, he saw action in just four games because of recurring concussion symptoms.
Other news from Ottawa:
- While goaltending Craig Anderson has typically been pretty quick to rejoin the team after taking his leaves of absence to be with his cancer-stricken wife, it doesn’t sound like that will be the case this time around. Via Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link), head coach Guy Boucher noted that he expects that Mike Condon and Andrew Hammond will be the goalie tandem for a while. Condon has been a strong addition for the Sens since being acquired from Pittsburgh, posting a 2.38 GAA and a .920 SV% in nine games so far.
- The team announced via Twitter that they have recalled defenseman Ben Harpur from their AHL affiliate in Binghamton. The 21 year old has played in 20 games in the minors this season, recording three assists and 30 penalty minutes. He has five games of NHL experience under his belt from last season with Ottawa.
- Center/right winger Curtis Lazar skated on the fourth line at practice between Chris Kelly and Chris Neil, Garrioch notes in a separate tweet. Over the weekend, it was reported that he was targeting Wednesday as a return date from a concussion and it appears he’s on track to meet that goal.
Predators Notes: Fiala, Ellis, Expansion
Predators left winger Kevin Fiala got the news he was looking for at the start of the season after making the team out of training camp and even starting on the first line. It wasn’t long though before he started to drop down the depth chart and after collecting two points in ten games, he was sent back to the minors in November.
After a strong stint with their AHL affiliate (eight points in seven games), he was brought back to the NHL late last month and he is faring much better this time around. He has three goals and an assist in seven games since rejoining the team and as Adam Vingan of The Tennessean writes, Fiala believes that his time in the minors has given him the confidence that was lacking earlier on in the year.
He certainly has earned the confidence of head coach Peter Laviolette as in five of his last six games, the 20 year old first rounder (11th overall in 2014) has played more minutes than his season average, including over 15 minutes in four of those contests.
When Fiala was recalled, the Preds were dealing with several injuries up front but now only Colton Sissons and Miikka Salomaki are on IR (and Salomaki, who has been out since mid-October, could be activated in time for tonight’s game against St. Louis). Fiala has managed to stay in the lineup as those players returned and should stay in if Salomaki is indeed activated later today. It’s still too early to suggest he has earned a full-time spot but with his recent play, he should have a longer leash this time around compared to the start of the season.
[Related: Predators Depth Chart]
More from Nashville:
- Defenseman Ryan Ellis (along with Sissons) both participated in Monday’s practice and the 25 year old blueliner isn’t ruling out being ready to go against the Blues as well, writes Brooks Bratten of Nashville’s team website. Ellis was paired with Roman Josi at practice while Sissons took line rushes on the fourth line alongside Austin Watson and Calle Jarnkrok.
- The play of winger Viktor Arvidsson could be creating some challenges for GM David Poile when it comes to the expansion draft. As Vingan notes in a reader mailbag, the Predators are likely to protect eight skaters instead of the standard seven forwards and three defensemen. That would allow them to protect their top four blueliners but only four forwards. Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and James Neal would figure to have three of those spots sewn up which leaves one slot for one of Arvidsson, Jarnkrok, Colin Wilson, or Craig Smith. Vingan suggests that even if they aren’t able to protect Arvidsson, they’d look to make a trade with Las Vegas, sending them a draft pick or some form of consideration to ensure that they don’t select him in June’s draft.
Mark Streit Out For Two Weeks
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Mark Streit will miss at least two weeks with a sprained shoulder, GM Ron Hextall announced tonight. Streit suffered the injury late in the Flyer’s game against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday and did not play in either the last 2:26 of the 3rd period or in overtime. He joins fellow Flyer defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on the sidelines as Gostisbehere is day-to-day recovering from a hand injury.
Streit has exceeded expectations this year, scoring 5G and 11A in 31 games and is 5th in team scoring. He’s on the final year of a four-year deal worth $5.25MM a year. Streit turned 39 this year so questions naturally arise as to whether he returns for another season. Injuries like this always weigh heavily on a player’s mind and could sway the scales one way or another. If Streit maintains his production, however, the Flyers should consider offering a one or two year contract.
Streit’s injury puts Philadelphia’s nine-game win streak in jeopardy. With both Gostisbehere and Streit sidelined, the Flyers lose their top-two power-play quarterbacks. Rookie defenseman Ivan Provorov will gain an expanded role on the blue line until either defenseman returns.
Sidney Crosby Injured [Update: Returns To Bench]
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took a stick to the face in the dying seconds of the first period tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. He returned to the bench early in the second period after getting repaired by the Penguins medical staff.
No penalty was called on the play as Crosby caught Arizona’s Martin Hanzal‘s stick in the face after Hanzel collided with both Crosby and Crosby’s teammate Patric Hornqvist. Crosby stayed down for a minute before skating off to the dressing room.
Any head-related injury for Crosby is concerning when considering his history with concussion and concussion-related symptoms. Crosby has already missed time this season with a head injury, and losing more time in a tight Metropolitan Division could cost the Penguins dearly in the long run.
PTO Checkup
During the offseason NHL teams extended a total of 194 professional tryouts (PTOs) to players trying to earn a professional contract for the upcoming season. Of those 194 players, only eleven earned a permanent NHL/AHL contract. Those lucky 5% have had varied success this season, and this article looks at how those players have fared so far.
Steve Bernier: New York Islanders
Steve Bernier failed to garner a contract on his PTO right away, but the New York Islanders signed him to a one-year, two-way deal on October 24, 2016. The contract pays him $600K (NHL) / $200K (AHL). Bernier has remained with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers—the Islanders’ AHL affiliate—all season, posting 8G and 5A in 15 games.
Gabriel Bourque: Colorado Avalanche
Gabriel Bourque signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Colorado Avalance worth $800K (NHL) / $200K (AHL). The 26 year-old forward has split time with the Avalanche and its AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage this season. Bourque has failed to register a point with Colorado, but has 3G and 5A in 16 games for San Antonio
Rene Bourque: Colorado Avalanche
Rene Bourque signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Colorado Avalanche worth $650K. Bourque has impressed so far, scoring 8G and 3A in 11 games for the Avalanche. He’s already surpasses last years totals (3G and 5A in 49 games) and could come closer to regaining his prior form.
Justin Fontaine: New York Rangers
Justin Fontaine signed a one-year, two-way deal with the New York Rangers worth $600K (NHL) / $300K (AHL) after failing to earn a contract with the Minnesota Wild. The 29 year-old forward remains in the AHL so far this season and has racked up 3G and 8A in 21 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Nicklas Grossmann: Orebro HK (SHL)
Nicklas Grossmann initially signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Calgary Flames for $575K. The Swedish defenseman lasted three games before the Flames attempted to demote him to the AHL Stockton Heat. Grossmann, however, did not report to Stockton, so Calgary terminated his contract. Grossman failed to register a point in those three games with the Flames.
Eric Gryba: Edmonton Oilers
Eric Gryba signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Edmonton Oilers worth $950K (NHL) / $250K (AHL). The move has not yet panned out as Gryba remains pointless through 14 games. The Oilers placed Gryba on IR on November 30th, and the defenseman is reportly nearing a return. While Gryba was never an offensive defenseman, the Oilers do expect more from him and could send him down if he doesn’t improve when he returns.
Lauri Korpikoski: Dallas Stars
Lauri Korpikoski signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Dallas Stars worth $1MM after failing to sign with the Calgary Flames—the team that initially offered Korpikoski a PTO. In 29 games for the Stars, Korpikoski has 4G and 5A, which is respectable but nothing noteworthy. He’ll have to improve if he wants to stay in the lineup after all the Stars’ injured players return.
Tom McCollum: Calgary Flames
Tom McCollum signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Calgary Flames worth $575K and $650K in the NHL and $175K and $200K in the AHL. Despite the two-year deal, however, McCollum has seen little action. The former first rounder has played 1 game in the AHL with the Stockton Heat and 3 games in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder.
Devin Setoguchi: Los Angeles Kings
Devin Setoguchi returned to the NHL this year with the Los Angeles Kings on a one-year, two-way deal worth $575K (NHL) / $45K (AHL). The former eighth overall pick has 3G and 4A in 24 games. Setoguci returns after playing in Switzerland for a year, and is still looking to regain his scoring touch with the Kings.
Jack Skille: Vancouver Canucks
Jack Skille signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks worth $700K. In 22 games this season Skille has 3G and 1A and plays less than nine minutes a night. Skille has never lived up to his draft position—7th overall in 2005—and has bounced around the league ever since.
Kris Versteeg: Calgary Flames
Kris Versteeg signed a one-year deal with the Calgary Flames worth $950K after failing to maintain a contract with both SC Bern (Swiss) and the Edmonton Oilers. Versteeg’s SC Bern contract was voided when Versteeg failed his medical exam. In 19 games with the Flames, however, Versteeg has 4G and 7A. So far the signing seems to have paid off for Calgary.
Ottawa Senators Send Down Robinson, Varone
After a weekend that saw the Ottawa Senators outscored 9-2 and lose two games on the west coast, the team has sent both Buddy Robinson and Philip Varone back to the AHL. Both players will head to Binghamton for their Wednesday night matchup against the St. John’s IceCaps.
Robinson and Varone have combined for just eight games for the Senators this season, with neither registering a single point. With 47 games, Varone is the more experienced NHLer but both are not expected to be much more than 13th forwards or injury replacements for their careers. They’ll head back to the AHL where each is having a productive season, and wait for another chance at a big league job.
After Bobby Ryan returned this weekend, Curtis Lazar is expected to be back with the team for Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks. The team is also expecting Clarke MacArthur‘s return to the ice at some point this season, as the forward was cleared for contact just a few days ago. Both Lazar and MacArthur are coming off concussions, though for the latter it has been a consistent problem. At one point, it looked like MacArthur wouldn’t be able to return to the NHL after suffering his latest head injury in training camp, but through hard work he’s positioned himself for a mid-season return on a team vying for a playoff spot.
Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Slater Koekkoek, Erik Condra
In the midst of a four day break, the Tampa Bay Lightning have decided to recall both Slater Koekkoek and Erik Condra from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. No word yet on the corresponding roster moves.
For both players this is a return to the NHL, as each have suited up this season for the Lightning. Koekkoek, the team’s first round pick (10th overall) from 2012, has played 17 games for the Bolts this year, registering four points. The 22-year old is waiver-exempt and has been sent up and down several times already this year, as they continue to develop him into a long-term NHL piece.
Condra, a veteran of 355 NHL games has been dominating the AHL through the first part of the season. With 18 points in 19 games, he’s proven why he’s spent the past five seasons entirely in the NHL (excluding some time in Germany during the most recent lockout). While Condra has always been a bottom-six player, he has been an effective one and earned a three-year, $3.75MM deal prior to last season. He is waivers eligible and will require them again if he’s sent back down, but has already cleared once this season due to his price tag.