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Penguins Call Up Forward Samuel Poulin

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Samuel Poulin from the AHL (Twitter link). This move reverses Poulin’s April 2nd assignment, bringing the winger back to Pittsburgh before he could return to the AHL lineup.

Poulin is continuing to find his footing this season, after missing all of November with a high-ankle sprain and most of February with a separate lower-body injury. He played in his first three NHL games of the season in late March, recording two penalty minutes, two shots on goal, and a -1. He’s been much more effective in the minors, boasting 13 goals and 27 points in 36 games. Poulin’s 2022-23 season came to a very early close, as he took a personal leave of absence from December to April, limiting his workload to just 15 AHL games and three NHL games.

Pittsburgh is plenty confident in Poulin, taking him in the first-round of the 2019 NHL Draft. But his string of absences has so far kept him from receiving consistent ice time. He’s had a healthy streak as of late and is scoring at the highest rate of his pro career, but if that can carry into the NHL level is yet to be seen. Poulin will likely battle with Jesse Puljujarvi for a spot on the team’s fourth-line. Puljujarvi has served in a very minimal role recently, averaging roughly seven minutes of ice time over the Penguins’ last four games. He’s recorded one assist in that stretch – but Pittsburgh will need much bigger of a spark, currently three points outside of the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card.

Blue Jackets Recall Trey Fix-Wolansky On Emergency Loan

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Trey Fix-Wolansky on an emergency loan (Twitter link). Head coach Pascal Vincent shared on Wednesday that the team would recall Fix-Wolansky if Justin Danforth was still feeling under the weather. Danforth missed the team’s Wednesday practice, but skated at an optional skate on Thursday, leaving him as a game-time decision per the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger (Twitter link).

Fix-Wolansky has been a force with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, with a team-leading 24 goals and 58 points in 54 games. He has an 18-point lead on the scoring title in Cleveland and is chasing the league title, now tied for sixth in points across the AHL. It’s been a continuation of his fantastic performance from last season, when he managed 29 goals and 71 points in 61 games. In fact, Fix-Wolansky has proven effective at nearly every level – putting up 197 points across 220 career AHL games after scoring 245 points in 206 games across three years in the WHL. But he is still searching for that scoring groove at the top level, with just four points in 24 career NHL games.

Fix-Wolansky will be playing in a career-high 10th game on Thursday, rejoining the Columbus roster after a March 23rd assignment. The Blue Jackets struggled last time Fix-Wolansky was in the lineup, posting a measly 1-5-2 record and getting outscored 14-to-30. He’ll now have to compete with rookies James Malatesta and Mikael Pyyhtia for a lineup spot. Both rookies are still looking for their first NHL point, through four and 10 games respectively.

Senators Recall Jiri Smejkal

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Jiri Smejkal from the Belleville Senators (Twitter link). Smejkal has been between rosters all season long, rejoining the AHL on March 13th and scoring three points in the five games since.

This move now marks Smejkal’s sixth call-up of the season, an impressive feat for the first-year North American pro. Smejkal signed a one-year, $950K entry-level deal with Ottawa this summer, moving to Canada after spending nine seasons across various European pro leagues. He’s quickly slotted into the role of de facto fill-in, despite just 22 points through his first 45 AHL games. His NHL performances haven’t been any more exciting, boasting just one assist in 12 games. He’s clearly still adjusting to North America, scoring significantly less than he did in the pair of 40-point seasons he posted in the SHL and Liiga over the last two years.

Even in the absence of scoring, Smejkal has brought a stout and professional frame – standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds. Ottawa will again lean on that frame to make an impact, as Angus Crookshank joins a long list of absent forwards with an undisclosed injury. Ottawa is also missing Joshua Norris, Zack MacEwen, Matthew Highmore, and Rourke Chartier. Their absences have tested Ottawa’s depth, but Smejkal isn’t their last line of defense – with top prospects Zack Ostapchuk and Roby Jarventie still in the AHL. Both players have received a half-dozen NHL games this season but Jarventie is the only one to make the scoresheet, managing one assist. Smejkal has averaged under nine minutes of ice time this season and is likely to manage a minimal role once again. But if he isn’t sharp, he could lose time to a top AHL prospect on a Senators team well out of the playoff picture.

Lightning Recall Goalie Matt Tomkins On Emergency Loan

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled goaltender Matt Tomkins on an emergency loan (Twitter link). Tomkins will fill-in for Jonas Johansson, who missed the team’s Monday game with a lower-body injury. Tampa had to utilize an emergency back-up goalie in his absence, dressing former NA3HL goalie Kyle Konin. It was the second time that Konin has suited up for an NHL team, having served as an EBUG for the St. Louis Blues in 2021.

This is Tomkins’ first call-up of the season, after making the Lightning roster out of training camp. He played in just three games through the first two months of the season, while the Lightning awaited the return of an injured Andrei Vasilevskiy. The appearances were Tomkins’ first NHL games and he performed modestly, allowing 10 goals on 90 shots (.889 save percentage) en route to one win. Tampa placed Tomkins on waivers and assigned him to the AHL in late November. He’s since rediscovered his groove, recording 15 wins and a .904 save percentage in 29 games with the Syracuse Crunch. He’s served as the team’s starting goaltender, though closely paced by Hugo Alnefelt, who has a .902 save percentage in 27 games of his own.

Tomkins returned to North America ahead of this season, after spending the last two seasons in Sweden’s SHL. He played with both Frölunda HC and Färjestad BK, managing an impressive 39 wins and .910 save percentage in a combined 65 games. The Swedish performance was a strong show of strength for Tomkins, who had previously spent four seasons bouncing between the minor leagues in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Tampa has Tomkins under contract through the end of next season, on a league-minimum $775K salary. And while call-ups like this one certainly present opportunity, it’s likely that the 29-year-old netminder continues to serve as Tampa’s de facto injury fill-in.

Rangers Sign Victor Mancini To Entry-Level Contract

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The New York Rangers have announced that they’ve signed defenseman Victor Mancini to a two-year, entry-level contract (Web link). Mancini signs after his junior season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, having spent all three years of college with the Mavericks. New York originally drafted the 6-foot-4, 220-pound defenseman in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, his final season of draft eligibility.

Mancini is the son of Robert Mancini, who has served in roles across the hockey world – including a long career of NCAA coaching, three years as the general manager and head coach of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, multiple years in the Edmonton Oilers’ scout and development room, representing USA Hockey internationally, and serving as the head coach of South Africa and Romania’s World Championship team. Robert most recently served as the head coach of USA’s U17 team in 2021.

Maybe because of his father’s own journeyman career, Mancini has played across the hockey world. His youth hockey career ended with the Little Caesars program in Detroit, where he also played in a handful of games with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Rather than continue in U.S. junior hockey in the subsequent season, Mancini instead took his talents to Sweden, playing two seasons with Frölunda HC’s affiliate teams and even serving as captain of their U20 team in 2020-21. Mancini returned to America at the tail end of that season, playing in 33 games with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, and moving to Nebraska in 2021-22.

Mancini, 21, is a rangy, right-shot defenseman with the powerful skating, hard passing, and vision needed to push his team up the ice. His long reach also keeps him effective on the defensive side of the puck, with Mancini doing well at keeping opponents to the outside. He served in a top role for Nebraska-Omaha this season, averaging nearly 21 minutes each game and serving on both special teams. He showed great prowess as a play-driver, though high-scoring has never been his groove – with Mancini managing just 23 points in 110 collegiate games. He’ll now move to the pro scene for the first time in his career, bolstering an already-deep Rangers defense room and returning the Mancini family back to the NHL level.

Ryan Hartman Suspended Three Games

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The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that they’ve handed out a three-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct to Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman. The ban is the second suspension handed out to Hartman this season and the fourth of his NHL career. He has also been fined seven times.

The incident happened in overtime during a Minnesota loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. On the play, Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault scored into an empty net (meaning Minnesota received no points despite losing in overtime) and Hartman was seen screaming from the bench and throwing his stick in the direction of the officials. The video shows that Hartman nearly hit teammate Matt Boldy with the stick. For his actions in the game, Hartman was assessed a ten-minute misconduct for abusive language and the three-game suspension that was handed out today.

Hartman said that he didn’t intend to hurt anyone when he tossed his stick, and the league considered this when handing out their discipline as well as also factoring in Hartman’s lengthy record when it comes to supplemental discipline.

Hartman’s absence will certainly hurt the Wild’s very slim chances at a playoff spot, the 29-year-old has 19 goals and 23 assists in 68 games this season. Minnesota’s season is hanging on by a thread as they currently sit seven points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 35-28-10 record.

Five Key Stories: 3/25/24 – 3/31/24

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The stretch run is upon as we get set to turn the calendar to April.  We’re still likely a few weeks away from some big headlines but there was still some notable news across the NHL which is recapped in our key stories.

Three For Benoit: Last summer, Simon Benoit was non-tendered by Anaheim, eventually settling for a one-year deal worth the NHL minimum salary with Toronto.  However, he has done well with the Maple Leafs and he was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year, $4.05MM contract extension.  The 25-year-old has played in 55 games this season and while he doesn’t put up many points (just five so far), he leads the team in hits with 210 while averaging nearly 17 minutes a night, giving the third pairing some stability.  That stability will now run through the 2026-27 season.

Injuries: If the Islanders are going to climb up the standings and into the playoffs, they’ll have to do so without defenseman Scott Mayfield as it was revealed that he underwent season-ending surgery.  The 31-year-old has been limited to just 41 games this season due to injuries, hardly the way he or the team wanted the first season of his seven-year contract to go.  Meanwhile, Blues center Oskar Sundqvist suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the rest of the season.  He returned for a second go-around with St. Louis in the summer and did well enough to earn a two-year, $3MM contract earlier this month just before the trade deadline.  With a six-month recovery timeline, Sundqvist won’t be ready for the start of training camp and could miss the start of next season.

Fleury Open To Playing Next Season: When Marc-Andre Fleury signed a two-year deal with Minnesota in 2022, it was widely expected that those two seasons would be the last ones of Fleury’s career.  However, that might not be the case as the veteran netminder indicated this week that he would be open to re-signing with the Wild for next season.  However, that option would only extend to Minnesota as he appears to be unwilling to move his family again.  Fleury is in his 20th NHL season and while his GAA is the same as a year ago at 2.85, he has lost nine points off his save percentage, going from .908 to .899, his lowest since 2005-06.  However, if the Wild feel that prospect Jesper Wallstedt would be better suited with another AHL season, they could decide to bring Fleury back for one more year.

Fedotov Joins Flyers: The Flyers have waited a long time to get Ivan Fedotov to North America, even when he had a contract going back to last season.  Fedotov played in the KHL this season despite sanctions from the IIHF but he was surprisingly released from that deal this week, paving the way for the netminder to finish up the year with Philadelphia.  It might not just be a short-term option for the 27-year-old as extension talks are already underway.  Fedotov had a quiet year by his standards with CSKA Moscow but still managed a 2.37 GAA and a .914 SV% in 44 games.  Long viewed as one of the top netminders outside North America, Fedotov represents an immediate upgrade at the backup goalie position and if a new deal is agreed on, he could help bolster Philadelphia’s crease position for a little while.

Bear Enters Assistance Program: The Capitals will be without defenseman Ethan Bear indefinitely as he has entered the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program.  Bear had to wait until late December to get a contract after being injured while playing for Canada at the Worlds back in May although he was able to get a back-loaded two-year, $4.125MM deal from the Capitals.  Through 24 games this season, Bear has a goal and three assists while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Predators’ Matthew Wood Expected To Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

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Top Nashville Predators prospect and former top-15 pick Matthew Wood is expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). Divver adds that the University of Minnesota is currently the favorite to land Wood, though the University of Wisconsin and North Dakota are in the race as well. Wood will be departing from the University of Connecticut, after leading the team in scoring in each of his two years with the school. His move to the transfer portal is not yet finalized, with March 31st representing the first day that underclassmen can enter.

The Predators drafted Wood with the 15th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, following his freshman year at UConn last season, when Wood became the first 17-year-old to play D1 Men’s Hockey since Ryan Poehling in 2017 and Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski in 2015. He did the best with the opportunity, with 11 goals and 34 points in his first 35 collegiate games. The hot performance earned Wood plenty of draft attention, with flashy stickhandling and a heavy shot proving tough for college goalies to handle. But he wasn’t without flaws, struggling to show consistent finesse skating and not always filling his roles outside the offensive zone.

Nashville put aside those concerns, taking the hefty-built Wood early in the draft, and he’s vindicated the team’s confidence this season – with 16 goals and 28 points in 35 games. He also added plenty of grit, recording 43 penalty minutes after just four last season. Wood now represents perhaps the best value on the NCAA’s open market, with his heavy-hitting offense providing plenty of scoring. He’s expected to move to the Big Ten after two years in Hockey East, giving him a good preparation for the high level of competition he’ll face if he moves to the Midwest.

Snapshots: Tanev, Bunting, Butler, Aston-Reese

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The Dallas Stars could be without their newest defenseman for an extended time, with Trade Deadline acquisition Chris Tanev leaving the team’s Saturday night game early after taking an elbow to the head from Seattle Kraken Adam Larsson. Larsson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit, while Tanev exited after 17 minutes of ice time. Tanev will be re-evaluated on Sunday, with the Stars hoping for an update early this week, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning Star (Web link).

Tanev is 12 games into his time with the Stars, recording one goal, two points, and 10 penalty minutes. The Stars sent away prospect Artem Grushnikov, a conditional second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to land Tanev – and they’re getting their money’s worth, with Tanev stepping into an immediate impact role and averaging over 18 minutes of ice time each game. He’s served as much-needed depth behind star Miro Heiskanen, elevating the impact of depth defenseman Esa Lindell. Dallas would normally turn towards Jani Hakanpaa in the event of Tanev’s absence, though he’s also bearing through a day-to-day injury. The Stars aren’t carrying any other defenders, meaning they’ll need to make a call-up if neither Tanev nor Hakanpaa can go.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Michael Bunting left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Saturday night game due to illness, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the game (Twitter link). Bunting played in nearly 10 minutes of ice time before exiting, with a -1 representing his only stat change. He’s found a strong scoring groove through his first 12 games in Pittsburgh, with three goals and seven points – though he’s still finding where he fits best in the lineup. There’s been no update on Bunting’s availability moving forward, though healthy scratch Emil Bemstrom is available to slot in if needed.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent right-winger Cameron Butler back to the minor leagues, after awarding him with his NHL debut on Saturday (Twitter link). He played in just one shift – staying on the ice for 54 seconds – during the eventual shootout-win. Butler, who is in his first year of pro hockey, will now return to the AHL, where he’s already managed two goals, eight points, and 63 penalty minutes in 46 games. He signed with the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free-agent in March of 2023.
  • Zach Aston-Reese has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings after being recalled on Friday (Twitter link). Aston-Reese didn’t appear in any NHL action during the call-up, making his sole game in December his only NHL game of the season. He’s managed 13 goals, 28 points, and 47 penalty minutes in 56 AHL games this season – his first year in the league since 2018-19.

Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner On Emergency Loan

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The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Chris Wagner on an emergency loan (Twitter link). It’s Wagner’s third call-up to the Avalanche lineup since signing a one-year, two-way deal with the club this summer. He’s served as an NHL extra forward for much of the season, playing in nine NHL games and 17 AHL games – with nine points combined between the leagues.

This season has marked the most Wagner has played in the NHL since the 2020-21 campaign. He’s been a minor-league staple ever since, playing in 62 games in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. And while he did manage a career-high 31 points in the minors last season, Wagner’s role has still come largely through bruising, with 124 penalty minutes across 141 AHL games over the last three seasons. That’s a role he’s carried to the NHL as well, recording his 200th NHL penalty minute with a Leap Day fight against Chicago’s Reese Johnson. Wagner managed the feat in just 369 career games, also adding 37 goals and 64 points in those appearances.

Colorado now brings Wagner back to the top level, adding depth in the wake of a lower-body injury to Valeri Nichushkin and an illness to Joel Kiviranta. Both players are listed as day-to-day and have missed multiple games. Nichushkin won’t immediately travel with Colorado on their upcoming three-game road trip, per NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link). Wagner’s recall could also spell bad news for defenseman Sean Walker, who is questionable for the team’s next game with an upper-body injury after leaving the team’s Saturday game early.

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