Minor Transactions: 10/31/17

Happy Halloween reader, and welcome to another edition of who’s up and who’s down. As usual, we’ll keep an eye on all the movement around the National Hockey League and collect all the minor moves right here.

• The Buffalo Sabres started the day off with the first move, bringing Taylor Fedun back up from the minor leagues. Fedun has already played two games this season for the Sabres, but had given up that depth spot to Zach Redmond of late. With Justin Falk expected to be activated this week, there is no clear path into the lineup for Fedun. Perhaps he’ll serve as insurance while Buffalo heads out on a short two-game road trip to Arizona and Dallas. The 29-year old has 41 games of NHL experience so far, registering 15 points.
• The Ottawa Senators have returned Max McCormick to the AHL after calling him up just yesterday. McCormick played in Senators’ game against the Montreal Canadiens last night, but amazingly saw just a minute of ice time and 14 minutes of penalties. It won’t be the last time he’s used in this role for Ottawa, who will likely bounce him up and down if they feel they need a physical presence.
• The Arizona Coyotes have indeed sent Louis Domingue to the AHL, recalling Joel Hanley with the corresponding roster spot. The Coyotes turned to Scott Wedgewood in net last night and finally got their first win of the season. Domingue, once considered a capable backup, will need to find his game again in the minor leagues.
• Julius Honka, profiled as a potential impact rookie earlier this summer, has been sent to the AHL by the Dallas Stars. Honka wasn’t playing enough to warrant staying up with the NHL team, as his development is key to the Stars future. The 14th-overall pick from 2014, Honka has tremendous upside as an all-around defender capable of contributing offensively and skating big minutes in the future. He’ll have to wait for a bigger opportunity, or an injury to one of the Stars’ top six.
• Philadelphia has recalled another defender, bringing up Will O’Neill from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Both Nolan Patrick and Andrew MacDonald are currently on injured reserve, while Shayne Gostisbehere is still out with an upper-body injury. O’Neill will serve as an insurance policy on the upcoming two-game road trip, but is unlikely to get into a game. The 29-year old has never been called up previously, but has a long history of success in the AHL.