Minor Transactions: 02/20/20

While teams try to prepare their rosters for the coming trade deadline, there will be plenty of movement up and down between the NHL and AHL. Eight important games are on the schedule for tonight, and as the last minute tweaks happen we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

• The Dallas Stars have sent Joel Kiviranta back to the minor leagues, after playing in four games earlier this month. Kiviranta has 11 total appearances on the season and a single goal, but really hasn’t been used as a full-time option in Dallas yet. The 23-year old was signed out of Finland last spring and still has another year left on his deal.
• Gabe Vilardi is expected to make his NHL debut tonight for the Los Angeles Kings, finally recalled after a long recovery period. The 20-year old Vilardi was drafted 11th overall in 2017 but played just four games during the 2018-19 season as he dealt with chronic back issues. His work has paid off however, scoring 25 points in 32 games this season with the Ontario Reign and making it to the NHL.
• The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Jimmy Schuldt and Zach Whitecloud back to the minors after using them to complete a salary cap transaction yesterday. The team gained as much cap relief as possible when they moved Alex Tuch to long-term injured reserve.
• A pair of players have been reassigned by the Vancouver Canucks as well, as the team announced that forward Tyler Graovac and defenseman Guillaume Brisebois have been returned to the AHL’s Utica Comets. Graovac has missed considerable time due to injury this season, but in his limited action has suited up for the Cancucks more than the Comets, whereas Brisebois has been a fixture on the Utica blue line with no NHL appearances yet this season.
• It’s been a bit of a whirlwind in the Florida Panthers’ bottom-six of late, with Jayce Hawryluk and Denis Malgin departing and Danick Martel and Mason Marchment arriving. As a result, the team has brought back a familiar face fore the time being, announcing the recall of Dryden Hunt. Hunt has skated in 20 games with the Cats this season and another 35 with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.