Minor Transactions: 12/05/19

The Metropolitan Division kept on rolling last night, with wins by both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. That group has five teams that would be divisional playoff seeds in the Atlantic, meaning they are running away with the wild card positions at the moment. With nine games on the schedule for tonight, we’ll see if the other Metro teams can keep pace.

• The Ottawa Senators have sent Erik Brannstrom and Marcus Hogberg back to the AHL, probably a good decision for the development of their young defenseman at this point. Brannstrom was the prize for Mark Stone last season and needs to grow into that first-pairing option that the Senators believed he could be.
• Cory Conacher has been brought right back to the Tampa Bay Lightning today, though he wasn’t in the morning skate lines as the group prepares for their game against the Minnesota Wild.
• Tom Kuhnhackl has been placed on long-term injured reserve in order to get him a conditioning stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, which actually signals that the veteran forward is getting closer to a return. Kuhnhackl has played just six games for the New York Islanders this season and is still looking for his first point.
• The Colorado Avalanche have sent Logan O’Connor back to the minor leagues, suggesting that Gabriel Landeskog might be close to returning. The captain has been out for the last several weeks, but after Mikko Rantanen’s recent return the Avalanche are getting closer to full strength.
• Matt Tennyson has been placed on injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, while Jack Hughes returned to practice. The Devils are in a state of turmoil after firing head coach John Hynes, but will hopefully get their star forward into the lineup.