Minor Transactions: 05/19/21
With the playoffs underway for almost everyone, the taxi squad shuffle has ended. The unique season that saw more daily transactions than ever before is coming to an end, hopefully never to return. Still, there are going to be some moves from teams preparing for their first-round matchups, or players signing overseas. We’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Martin Marincin from the AHL, giving them another defenseman while Ben Hutton deals with a non-COVID illness. The Maple Leafs will start their first-round series tomorrow and appear to have Zach Bogosian healthy and ready to return to the lineup.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled their “Black Aces,” bringing up Calen Addison, Louis Belpedio, Matthew Boldy, Connor Dewar, Brandon Duhaime and Hunter Jones from the AHL. Boldy, the 12th overall pick from 2019, made the transition from college hockey to pro seamlessly this season, stepping into a major role with the Iowa Wild and scoring 18 points in 14 games. The 20-year-old should be a contender for a full-time roster spot next season, but doesn’t appear to be getting a look this postseason (at least not yet).
- The Calgary Flames brought up Matthew Phillips for their season finale against Vancouver, per his agency Roy Hockey Group. The 23-year-old has spent the last three seasons with Stockton of the AHL but hadn’t had an NHL opportunity until today.
- On the other end of that game, the Vancouver Canucks brought up Jonah Gadjovich and Kole Lind from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Arturs Silovs was sent back down in a corresponding move. Both wingers have made their NHL debuts in recent weeks but have yet to record a point.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Cody Glass and Dylan Sikura, per CapFriendly. Glass has been in and out of the lineup all season long due to their salary cap troubles, something that isn’t the case now with the regular season now over. As for Sikura, he had two goals in six games this season.
- The Winnipeg Jets have also brought up more “Black Aces”, as CapFriendly reports that Cole Kehler, Nelson Nogier, Joona Luoto, and C.J. Suess were all recalled. All but Kehler have suited up for Winnipeg at some point in their careers but none of those appearances came this season.
Further transactions will be added throughout the day
New York Rangers Hire Mike Grier
Though it had been previously reported by Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the New York Rangers made it official today and announced Mike Grier as a new hockey operations advisor. In the role, Grier will work with the hockey operations department on hockey-related decisions, while assisting prospects in the organization with on-ice and off-ice development.
As Brooks pointed out, Grier has a long history with Rangers president and GM Chris Drury, going back to their days together at Boston University. The two were teammates again with the Buffalo Sabres for several seasons and even suited up for USA Hockey at the 2004 World Championships. In a playing career that spanned more than 1,000 games, Grier recorded 383 points.
His addition replaces the outgoing Brian Leetch, who left the organization soon after the Rangers decided to fire John Davidson, Jeff Gorton and David Quinn. Grier’s resume does not only include his playing days though. He was also a scout with the Chicago Blackhawks for several seasons and served as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils for two years. He’ll now rejoin his old teammate and try to help get the Rangers over the hump and back into postseason contention.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Erik Kallgren
The Toronto Maple Leafs have added another name to the goaltending depth chart, signing Erik Kallgren to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $750K at the NHL level.
Kallgren, 24, was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015 and actually did sign his entry-level contract, but left the organization in 2019. His contract was terminated and he returned to Sweden, where he just recently led Vaxjo to an SHL title. Kallgren was dominant in the playoffs, posting a .937 save percentage in ten games and registering a goals-against average of just 1.74.
Interestingly, Kallgren signed a two-year deal with Frolunda in the SHL just a few days ago, which confuses things a bit. It could mean that the Maple Leafs have agreed to loan him back to Sweden for the time being, signing him only to grab his restricted free agent rights, or perhaps he had a change of heart. It will be interesting to see where he starts the 2021-22 season.
The Maple Leafs would have had quite a few looks at the big goaltender, given their interest in one of his teammates. Pontus Holmberg, who was named playoff MVP on the championship Vaxjo squad, is a Toronto draft pick himself.
New Jersey Devils Hire Meghan Duggan
The New Jersey Devils have added an Olympic captain to the front office. Meghan Duggan, who announced her retirement as a player in October, has been hired by the Devils to a new role called Manager, Player Development in the team’s Hockey Operations Department. General Manager Tom Fitzgerald released a statement on the hire:
We are incredibly excited to announce that Meghan has joined our Player Development Department. As our group has evolved over the past few years to include as much about off-ice as on-ice for development, we believe Meghan will be perfect for this position. Her successful track record as a teammate, leader, captain and driver of initiatives will be resources to all players in our organization. We look forward to her utilizing her perspective of the game, attention to detail and creative thinking to help our players reach their potential.
Duggan, 33, is one of the most decorated women in U.S. hockey history, with eight World Championship and three Olympic medals. She served as captain for each of the past two Olympic Games and has been in a leadership role for almost her entire hockey career. During her four-year span at the University of Wisconsin, she took home three NCAA titles and won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best collegiate player in the country during the 2010-11 season.
There is very little that Duggan failed to accomplish during her playing days, and she will now help the Devils development team push forward the next wave of young players. Her appointment follows the news of Hayley Wickenheiser‘s recent promotion in Toronto, which elevated her to the highest position a woman has ever held in an NHL front office.
Vancouver Canucks Plan To Retain Jim Benning As GM
Things are getting interesting in Vancouver. On the eve of their season finale, a disappointing season at that, rumors are swirling around the Canucks. Earlier reports suggested that sweeping changes could be coming to the organization, including a potential return of Daniel and Henrik Sedin in front office roles. Meanwhile, head coach Travis Green is still working on an expiring contract and there has been no indication that a resolution is in sight. Given all of this mystery and speculation, the Canucks have made perhaps the most surprising move they could: retaining GM Jim Benning. The often-criticized executive has been informed that he will be back with the team next year, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
As Friedman relays, given all of the uncertainty that has arisen over the past 24 hours, ownership indicated to their front office leader that he would be returning. It’s a major decision to make ahead of a crucial off-season, as Benning will be charged with managing the Canucks’ approach to the NHL Expansion Draft (made more important by the Seattle Kraken becoming a geographical rival right away), properly executing a top-ten overall draft pick, and otherwise handling an off-season in which his roster must significantly improve despite sorely lacking cap space.
Therein lies most of the criticism of Benning as well. The GM, who has been on the job since 2014, has made some questionable decisions in regards to his most precious resource, cap space. Benning has deemed the likes of Brandon Sutter, Erik Gudbranson, Sam Gagner, Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Sven Baertschi, and Micheal Ferland as being worthy of sizeable commitments during his tenure, which has hurt the team on the payroll and in opportunity cost. It also forced the departures of superior players, such as Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, and Tyler Toffoli last off-season. Those losses were felt this year as the Canucks, fresh off a run to the Western Conference semifinals last year, lived in the basement all season. Benning is left having to pick up the pieces and will try to find a way to squeeze more talent into his roster this summer.
Why is it Benning fixing the problem though? For starters, his track record on the trade market and in the draft at least come close to balancing out his contract negotiation mistakes. Since the 2018-19 trade deadline, Benning has added core members Tanner Pearson, J.T. Miller, and Nate Schmidt at below-market prices. His recent draft picks also include current and budding stars such as Quinn Hughes, Nils Hoglander, Vasili Podkolzin, Jack Rathbone, Michael DiPietro, Jett Woo, Kole Lind, Jonah Gadjovich, and more. So while some of Benning’s criticism is fair, too often his successes are ignored. Despite allegedly wanting to make major internal changes, the Canucks understand and appreciate what Benning has achieved and what he is trying to build in Vancouver. It seems that he will now be given at least one more year to show that he is still steering the organization in the right direction. It’s unlikely to appease the fans in the meantime, but the club hopes that their loyalty will be rewarded.
Anaheim Ducks Send Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale To AHL
The Anaheim Ducks’ young dynamic duo is back in action. The team has announced that recent first-round picks Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, as well as veteran Sam Carrick, have been assigned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls for the Pacific Division postseason tournament. The group combined for 55 points in 58 games in the AHL this season and will provide a major boost to the No. 3 seed.
This move itself is not a surprise; as young players, it is not strange to see Zegras and Drysdale re-assigned to the minors after their NHL seasons ended. Instead, it’s the timing that is curious. The trio have all been out of action for ten days since the Ducks concluded their season back on May 8. Instead of sending them immediately to the Gulls, who still had regular season game remaining, Anaheim held the group at the NHL level, leading to some speculation that perhaps they would not play again this year. However, they have now been sent down with the playoffs beginning. Perhaps the team simply did not want to risk injury for regular season games, but is more willing with postseason glory on the line. Incidentally, the Ducks also save some money by not having paying out AHL contracts to the group over the past week, with playoff participation now coming cost-free.
Zegras and Drysdale getting some extra play time certainly won’t hurt though, as each lost out on some action in their first pro seasons due to shuffling between the NHL and AHL, on top of an already-shortened schedule. Even in a small sample size though, the duo showed emerging star power and became a bright light in a dim season for the Ducks. Zegras, in just 24 games, recorded 13 points to finish among Anaheim’s top nine scoring forwards. The dynamic play-maker was also the Ducks’ best possession player among lineup regulars and posted a team-best +6 rating. Zegras recorded 10 goals and 21 points in 17 AHL games this year and should dominate in the playoffs this year before refocusing on preparing to take on a top-six role for Anaheim next year. Drysdale, meanwhile, also played in 24 games with the Ducks, recording eight points which was third among defensemen. The 18-year-old may have struggled slightly with adjusting to the defensive requirements of competing in the NHL, but still averaged almost 20 minutes of ice time per game. Drysdale only played in 14 games and, like Zegras, looked out of place, recording ten points and skating around the competition.
Zegras and Drysdale are clearly the cornerstones of the Ducks’ current rebuild. Who can blame them for wanting to take another look at their elite ability in action in the Pacific Division postseason. However, it’s 2021-22 and full NHL seasons for the duo that the Ducks and their fans should really be excited about.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Jack Thompson
The Tampa Bay Lightning have put pen to paper with one of the top prospects in their system. Defenseman Jack Thompson has signed his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced. No financial details have been disclosed, but the team did state that the deal does not begin until next season. Thompson got into one game with Tampa’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, playing on an amateur tryout to end his season.
Thompson, 19, is not your typical “top prospect”. A 2020 third-round pick, he probably wouldn’t be considered as such with any other team in the league. However, in Tampa’s pipeline, thin and aging, Thompson was a much-needed addition last year. A high-upside project, Thompson is a bit one-dimensional as a possession defenseman with a good shot but not much in the way of play-making or defensive ability. However, the Bolts can work with his natural ability and good size over the course of this first contract. He’s one of very few young prospects in the system with the capacity and time to grow into much more than what he is now.
Thompson was a point-per-game player in an 18-game stint in the Swedish minors this year, recording 9 goals, 9 assists, and an +9 rating for Surahammars IF. In that short time, he actually ended up finishing first among defenseman in goals and plus/minus. Last season, Thompson played for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, recording 32 points in 63 games; he could wind up back in Sudbury next season as well. Although he got a taste of the pros this yeat, another year of junior would not hurt for the raw prospect.
Thompson was a polarizing prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft, likely due to the fact that he has a narrow skill set but has mastered those skills. Some saw righty blue-liner as a potential early third-round pick while others saw him falling into the later rounds. The Lightning are clearly happy to have snagged him at No. 93 overall and with a constant need to affordable talent at the NHL level for the cap-strapped club, they will be happy to see Thompson continue to take steps forward and broaden his ability into a pro-ready game.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/18/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:
St. Louis – David Perron, Jake Walman, Nathan Walker
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: None
Still no one off the list for the Blues, who were forced to try and compete with the Avalanche last night without their top offensive weapon. St. Louis generated just one goal on 23 shots in game one of their series. For now, the team will have to battle to stay alive until Perron and the others are cleared.
Rick Tocchet To Interview With Kraken, Rangers
The Seattle Kraken have patiently waited and watched the NHL coaching landscape change dramatically over the last several months, biding their time before hiring the first coach in franchise history. If they have had any interviews to this point they haven’t been made public, but that is about to change. NHL insider Frank Seravalli reports that the Kraken will interview Rick Tocchet after he parted ways with the Arizona Coyotes earlier this month. They have also interviewed Toronto Maple Leafs director of pro scouting Troy Bodie for a front office position, according to Seravalli.
The Kraken aren’t the only team after Tocchet though. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that the New York Rangers will also interview the former Coyotes coach for their own head coaching vacancy.
Tocchet, 57, was head coach of the Coyotes for the last four seasons, but decided to part ways with the organization in order to pursue other opportunities. During his time there the team went 125-131-34 while making the playoffs just once. That was last year, when the Coyotes managed to defeat the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round only to be sent home quickly by the Colorado Avalanche. One of the things Tocchet was always lauded for was his ability to get the best out of inconsistent talents–namely Phil Kessel, who did have a bit of a resurgence this season scoring 43 points in 56 games to lead the Coyotes.
In Seattle, he would be given the difficult task of bringing players from 30 different organizations together under one roof and competing as the NHL’s newest franchise. He wouldn’t be doing it alone, obviously, joining Kraken GM and former teammate Ron Francis. Francis and Tocchet won a Stanley Cup together with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 after the latter was brought over from the Philadelphia Flyers at the deadline. They would both score 100+ points the following season, the best offensive year of Tocchet’s career.
Of course, even though the Seattle job is an appealing one, New York’s appeal is never something to overlook. The Rangers have an excellent young core that looks poised to take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention and are looking for a coach to lead them to the playoffs immediately. When the Rangers hired former head coach David Quinn away from Boston University, they gave him a five-year, $12MM deal even despite his lack of NHL experience. Tocchet earned just $6MM over his four years with Arizona.
Snapshots: Lafleur, Sedins, Seider
The QMJHL will never again have a player wearing No. 4. Guy Lafleur‘s number will be retired league-wide as of next season, celebrating his status as the league’s all-time greatest player. Before all of his success at the NHL level, Lafleur dominated the Q, recording 379 points in 118 regular season games. Amazingly, he scored more than 100 goals in each of his two seasons in the league, including seven in a single game (and five in a period!).
Lafleur would go on to be the first player from the league to be selected first overall and won five Stanley Cup championships during his Hall of Fame career. He will actually join Sidney Crosby as the only players to have their numbers retired league-wide, though it seems likely that at least Mario Lemieux will join them before long.
- Though rumblings continue to emerge about more drastic changes in the Vancouver Canucks front office, no official announcements have been made by the team. Darren Dreger of TSN however has heard that team ownership is in talks with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin about potential roles in the organization, without giving any specifics on what those would be. Thomas Drance of The Athletic tweets that the discussions are “not centered on a president or GM-type top decision maker role.” The twins are two of the greatest players to ever pull on a Canucks sweater and will likely be linked to the organization in some fashion for the rest of their lives; an official role would only be an extension of that connection.
- Get excited Detroit, Moritz Seider is coming. The 20-year-old prospect was named Defenseman of the Year for the SHL this season after recording 28 points in 41 games for Rogle. Selected sixth overall in 2019, Seider signed his entry-level contract later that year but has yet to play a game for the Red Wings. Instead, he spent the entire 2019-20 season in the AHL developing his game with the Grand Rapids Griffins, before heading to Sweden to ensure a full season this time around. Playing against opponents sometimes more than a decade his elder, Seider was a dominant force at both ends of the rink.