Ten games grace the NHL stage tonight, including several East-West matchups between playoff contenders. As teams prepare for their games this weekend, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Christian Wolanin from the AHL to give them another defenseman for their upcoming road trip. The team will be without Mark Borowiecki for the first game as he sits out his one-game suspension, but are expected to have Cody Ceci back in the lineup. That means Wolanin may yet have to wait for his first game this season, but is at least earning an NHL paycheck for a few days.
- Jeremy Lauzon is the lucky defender that has been recalled by the Boston Bruins, this time under emergency conditions. The team moved Kevan Miller to injured reserve, and have several other defensemen banged up. Torey Krug did take part in the morning skate, but Charlie McAvoy and Urho Vaakanainen are not expected to play. It’s the first time Lauzon has ever been recalled to the NHL.
- Rocco Grimaldi has been recalled by the Nashville Predators after the team placed Dan Hamhuis on injured reserve. Grimaldi has 11 points in his first eight games for the Milwaukee Admirals, and has played the game of extra forward at the NHL level many times before. He’ll likely be sent back down soon, and find himself back with the team again later during the year.
- Rick Dhaliwal of Sportnet reports that Alex Biega has been called up by the Vancouver Canucks, noting that Guillaume Brisebois could also be on his way up to the team. Biega played 44 games for the Canucks last season but was forced to start at the minor league level this year, where he has two points in his first three games.
- The Calgary Flames have activated Travis Hamonic from injured reserve, and will re-insert him into the lineup after being out with a facial fracture suffered early in the season. To make room on the roster, Anthony Peluso has been sent back to the minor leagues. Juuso Valimaki, who is just one game away from burning a year of his entry-level contract, will sit tonight for the Flames.
- Christoffer Ehn has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings, making room for Mike Green’s return to the lineup this week. Ehn was a surprise on the final roster out of camp, and played nine games with the Wings to start the season. The 22-year old forward recorded his first NHL point two weeks ago, but had seen his ice time diminished recently.
- Jake Bischoff has also been sent back to the AHL, and is still awaiting his NHL debut. It’s not the first time Bischoff has been called up without actually getting into a game, and it likely won’t be the last. The 24-year old defenseman scored 23 points in his first full season at the AHL level in 2017-18, and will look to do more damage for the Chicago Wolves this year.