The NHL is in full gear tonight as they wrap up the pre-All-Star portion of the season. 30 of 31 teams are in action tonight, with only the Los Angeles Kings sitting out. The league will break for a few days to celebrate their very best, with the Skills Competition on Saturday night and the tournament itself on Sunday in Tampa Bay. With all that action, there are sure to be a few minor moves around the league and we’ll keep track of them right here.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Mackenzie Blackwood for the first time in his professional career, meaning Ken Appleby will get his first NHL start tonight. Corey Schneider and Keith Kinkaid are both out for the Devils, meaning though should both be back before long. The Devils are also without Taylor Hall and Marcus Johansson for tonight as they deal with injuries, leading them to recall Kevin Rooney to help them out going into the All-Star break. Rooney has played 41 games for the Binghamton Devils this year, recording 18 points.
- Forward Ryan Lomberg is up with the Calgary Flames, who play the second half of a back-to-back tonight in Edmonton. Lomberg, 23, has yet to make his NHL debut and has scored 14 points in 36 games for the Stockton Heat this season.
- The Florida Panthers have loaned Ian McCoshen back to the minor leagues, giving the defensemen a chance to get back into some game action. McCoshen has been bothered by injury and inconsistency this season, and hasn’t been in a game since January 7th. The 22-year old defenseman has three goals in 29 games this season, but hasn’t been able to make much of an impact on the Panthers’ lineup.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Alex Lyon from the minor leagues as Brian Elliott deals with a minor injury. Lyon, 25, has had an up and down season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, recording a 12-8-2 record and .906 save percentage. He’ll likely return to the AHL after tonight’s game.
- The Kings, as the only team to already be on the All-Star break, have loaned Jonny Brodzinski, Michael Amadio and Paul Ladue to the Ontario Reign in order to keep them playing. The Reign have games on Friday and Saturday night, after which the trio could all return to the NHL.