Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2021

AHL Shuffle: 11/28/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Sunday in the NHL will bring some more afternoon action, with two top-tier matchups just a few hours from now. The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes do battle for the Metropolitan Division lead, while the Central-leading Minnesota Wild take on the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Four more games will follow this evening, including the reeling Vancouver Canucks trying to find any sort of positive. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the day’s minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The St. Louis Blues have moved Klim Kostin to injured reserve, recalling Logan Brown from the AHL in his place. Brown, acquired from the Ottawa Senators before the season began, has been excellent at the minor league level with 17 points in 19 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds. Kostin meanwhile is headed to LTIR, meaning he’ll have to miss a minimum of ten games and 24 days.

Pacific Division

  • After a one-day stint in the minors, Benoit-Olivier Groulx is back up with the Anaheim Ducks, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Groulx has played in 16 games with Anaheim so far this season but they have been trying to get him into AHL contests here and there to get him some extra playing time.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Brendan Lemieux Offered In-Person Hearing For Biting

at CDT | by 10 Comments

Los Angeles Kings forward Brendan Lemieux has been offered an in-person hearing (via Zoom) by the Department of Player Safety following the incident from last night. After engaging Brady Tkachuk, Lemieux appeared to bite the Ottawa Senators captain and was given a match penalty which brings an automatic review from the league. The in-person hearing, however, opens the door for the league to suspend Lemieux for more than five games.

Tkachuk did not mince words after the game when discussing his assailant with reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia:

It was the most gutless thing somebody could ever do. This guy, you can ask anyone of his teammates, nobody ever wants to play with him. This guy is a bad guy and a bad teammate, he focuses on himsef all the time. The guy’s a just a joke. He shouldn’t be in the league. This guy’s gutless. No other team wants him, he’s going to keep begging to be in the NHL but no other team is going to want him, he’s an absolute joke. 

It’s outrageous. Kids don’t even do that anymore. Babies do that. I don’t even know what he was thinking, he’s just a complete brick head. He’s got nothing up there. Bad guy, bad player but what a joke he is. 

The time and date of the hearing have not yet been set, meaning Lemieux is currently suspended. He does not need to accept the in-person offer, but declining it does not stop the league from issuing a suspension of more than five games.  There will be an appeal process available to Lemieux after the decision is made.

Scott Mellanby Resigns As Canadiens Assistant GM

at CDT | by 19 Comments

8:09 pm: The Canadiens have released a statement, confirming that Mellanby has resigned. The team thanks Mellanby for his work but says they have no further comment at this time.

6:49 pm: As originally reported by The Athletic’s Michael Russo, it appears Scott Mellanby will be resigning from his role as an assistant general manager for the Montreal Canadiens.

It’s one of the multiple reports surrounding the state of Montreal’s front office on Saturday night. Minutes before Russo’s report, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Canadiens are requesting permission from the New York Rangers to speak with former general manager Jeff Gorton about a role within the organization. While nothing is confirmed, it’s rather logical to believe that they view him as a potential replacement for Mellanby.

Friedman says in his report that the team isn’t inquiring about Gorton with the intention of hiring him as general manager. Current boss Marc Bergevin is in the final season of his contract, and now TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the “widely held expectation inside the industry” is that the Habs will be hiring a French-speaking general manager to replace Bergevin. While Bergevin’s future with the team is still technically undecided, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that he won’t be back with the team after this season.

Mellanby likely won’t have any issue finding work elsewhere. He’s long been desired by other teams for roles, but Mellanby has opted to stay with the Canadiens when faced with the choice. A veteran of nearly 1,500 NHL games, the 55-year-old Mellanby has been with Montreal since the beginning of Bergevin’s tenure in 2012-13. He’s been the assistant general manager for the past eight of his ten seasons in Montreal.

The Canadiens are just 5-15-2, and their .273 points percentage is third-last in the league.

Philadelphia Flyers Move Patrick Brown To Injured Reserve

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers moved forward Patrick Brown to injured reserve today, per a team tweet. Brown suffered a dislocated thumb earlier in November and is week-to-week.

The last update surrounding Brown’s condition from head coach Alain Vigneault said that he’s still working with doctors to determine whether rehab or surgery is the best option for him moving forward.

In his place, the team’s recalled forward Max Willman from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, continuing what’s been a wild ride up and down for him this season.

The 29-year-old Brown is actually a six-year veteran in the NHL but he’s only gotten into games sparingly, playing a total of 39 and a career-high of 14 in 2016-17 with Carolina. He was claimed off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights at the beginning of the season and played only six games with the Flyers before the injury.

His last game was November 16th against Calgary, where he took just five shifts and played 2:18 before sustaining the dislocated thumb.

Injury Notes: Rust, Kase, Wideman

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed today that right winger Bryan Rust won’t play Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens. When talking about Rust’s injury, Sullivan said that “[Rust’s] continuing to be evaluated… I do not have an answer for you about if he will be on our upcoming road trip.” Rust was a late, unexpected scratch for Friday night’s game against the Islanders after suffering a lower-body injury during warmups. Rust has two goals and seven assists through 12 games this season, which has been a tough one for him so far with a variety of injuries and COVID concerns. It will be concerning if Rust doesn’t appear for Pittsburgh on their upcoming road trip, which ends on December 10th and includes stops against the red-hot Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Washington Capitals.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • Forward Ondrej Kase won’t play for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night against Anaheim due to an upper-body injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe said today. Kase missed Toronto’s last game on their Western California swing, a 4-1 win against San Jose. He had an assist in 13:52 worth of ice time against their first California game against Los Angeles. Kase’s netted five goals and three assists through his first 21 games as a Maple Leaf after playing just three games last season due to injury. The one-time 20-goal scorer has looked good, but injuries remain a concern for the embattled Czech winger.
  • Per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, defenseman Chris Wideman is out with an injury for the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night game versus Pittsburgh. Forward Michael Pezzetta will draw back into the lineup after the team had iced 11 forwards and seven defensemen in their last contest. Wideman, who’d signed a one-year, league-minimum deal with Montreal this past offseason to return to the league after a good season abroad in Russia, leads Canadiens defensemen in points with eight.

Metropolitan Notes: Svechnikov, Thompson, Eller, Rust

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is a little lighter in the wallet today after the Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined him $5K for a kneeing incident on Philadelphia center Scott Laughton on Friday.  It is the maximum fine allowable in the CBA.  There was no penalty called when it occurred early in the second period while Svechnikov added a goal late in the third period.  It’s the first time the 21-year-old has been fined in his young career and the money will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Flyers have been hit hard by injuries to their centers and that list is going to grow again as head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters including Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link) that Nate Thompson appears to have a dislocated shoulder. He will be undergoing imaging to confirm that.  The veteran joins Kevin Hayes, Derick Brassard, and Patrick Brown as middlemen that are unavailable to Philadelphia due to injury.
  • Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette is hoping to have center Lars Eller back for tomorrow’s contest against Sunday, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. The veteran has missed six straight games while in COVID protocol but was able to participate in a full practice today.  With Nicklas Backstrom missing the entire season so far, Eller has been called upon to play a bigger role as he is averaging a career-high 17:18 per game in 15 contests while recording a goal and seven assists.
  • Penguins winger Bryan Rust was a late scratch from last night’s game due to a lower-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). His availability for tonight’s contest versus Montreal is not yet known.  The 29-year-old has been limited to just a dozen games this season due to injury but has still managed nine points while averaging over 18 minutes a night of playing time.

Central Notes: Strome, Byram, Zuccarello

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It wasn’t all that long ago that Blackhawks center Dylan Strome was viewed as a potential centerpiece player when he was drafted third overall by Arizona back in 2015.  Even as recently as 2019-20 when he had a good season with Chicago, he still looked like a part of a longer-term core in Chicago.  But since then, he has struggled mightily and it doesn’t appear as if other teams around the league believe he could rebound as Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that they haven’t been able to get a team to meet their asking price of a mid-round draft pick for Strome’s services.  The 24-year-old has just a goal and two assists this season in 12 games while being a frequent healthy scratch.  His AAV of $3MM is problematic while a $3.6MM qualifying offer looms large as well.  If a mid-round pick isn’t feasible, it appears that interim GM Kyle Davidson will need to consider some retention to try to find a new place for Strome to play.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • The Avalanche will be welcoming back defenseman Bowen Byram tonight, notes Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now. The sophomore was off to a strong start to his season with eight points in 11 games while logging nearly 20 minutes a game before suffering an upper-body injury a little over two weeks ago.  Despite being IR-eligible, Byram has remained on Colorado’s active roster so no move to free up a roster spot will be needed.
  • While Wild winger Mats Zuccarello left Friday’s victory over Winnipeg after taking a slash in the hand, head coach Dean Evason told reporters including Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press that his absence was precautionary and that he could have returned if needed. However, Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune relays (Twitter link) that the veteran was absent from practice today which could call into question his availability for Sunday’s game versus Tampa Bay.

Senators Claim Adam Gaudette Off Waivers From Blackhawks

at CDT | by 2 Comments

It is a busy waiver day for Ottawa today.  After officially placing Matt Murray on waivers, the Senators have claimed center Adam Gaudette off waivers from the Blackhawks, reports TSN’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link).

Chicago acquired Gaudette at the trade deadline last season from Vancouver in exchange for Matthew Highmore.  He played in seven games down the stretch last season and did well, collecting four points which was good enough to earn him a qualifying offer for just under $1MM which he accepted in July.  However, things haven’t gone as well this season as he has played in just eight games – recording only two points – and spending the rest of the time as a healthy scratch.

Gaudette’s agent Matt Keator told Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link) that GM Kyle Davidson was doing Gaudette a favor by putting him on waivers so that he could go somewhere where he could play more regularly.  He should get that opportunity in Ottawa, a team that has shuffled quite a few players in and out of their bottom six in the early going this season.

The 25-year-old will once again be a restricted free agent this summer with a $1MM qualifying offer.  Gaudette will also have salary arbitration eligibility so he will need to be more productive with the Sens than he was with the Blackhawks in order to be tendered in July.

Blues Place James Neal On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 1 Comment

For a brief moment, it looked as if the Blues were finally going to have a fully healthy roster at their disposal but that isn’t the case now.  With a few players banged up, they’ve been forced to make a move as the team announced that winger James Neal has been placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.  Center Dakota Joshua has been recalled from AHL Springfield to take Neal’s place on the roster.

Neal had a strong showing with St. Louis on a training camp PTO which led to him receiving a one-year, $750K contract just before the regular season started.  His preseason production hasn’t quite carried over to the regular season, however, as the 34-year-old has managed just two goals and two assists in 17 games while averaging just 11:54 per game, a career-low.

As for Joshua, this is already his third recall of the season.  He has played in six games with the Blues this season, logging just shy of eight minutes per game on the fourth line.  He also has suited up in 11 games with the Thunderbirds, notching a goal and four assists.

What’s notable here is that St. Louis doesn’t have the cap space to add Joshua to the roster; per CapFriendly, they have less than $100K in room right now and Joshua, like Neal, makes $750K, the league minimum.  David Perron and Klim Kostin are the other injured forwards and one of them (or Neal) could be shifted to LTIR to create the cap space for Joshua’s addition but that means they’d be missing ten games and 24 days.  Otherwise, the cap space would need to come from removing a defenseman from the roster; only Scott Perunovich is waiver-exempt.  While this move was needed to get a healthy forward up, it looks as if there will need to be another one coming to make the money work.

AHL Shuffle: 11/27/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s a lighter Saturday than usual around the league following a busy Friday but there are still 18 teams in action today which should result in some roster moves throughout the day.  We’ll keep track of those here.

Atlantic Division

  • Parker Kelly is on his way back to the minors as the team announced (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old has been sent back to AHL Belleville.  Kelly – who signed a two-year extension last month – has been up and down this season, getting into 11 games with Ottawa plus five more in the AHL.
  • The Panthers have brought up forward Aleksi Heponiemi from AHL Charlotte, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 22-year-old is off to a decent start to his season with 11 points in 17 games with the Checkers.  Heponiemi played in nine games with Florida last season, collecting a goal and an assist while logging just over 12 minutes a game.  WPLG’s David Dwork notes that Aleksander Barkov was transferred to IR to open a spot for Heponiemi’s recall.
  • The Lightning have activated center Odeen Tufto from season-opening IR and assigned him to AHL Syracuse, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 24-year-old finished second in NCAA scoring last season with 47 points in 29 games with Quinnipiac and got into his first four professional games late last season.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they have assigned winger Fabian Zetterlund back to AHL Utica. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last week and has played in three games in New Jersey but logged just 4:49 on Wednesday.  With Nathan Bastian returning after being claimed on waivers, Zetterlund can return to the Comets where he was off to a nice start offensively with nine points in his first ten games.
  • Forward Max Willman is back up with the Philadelphia Flyers, per a team tweet. Willman was added to the active roster in place of the injured Patrick Brown, who was moved to injured reserve today. Willman is pointless in his first six NHL games.

Central Division

 

Pacific Division

  • The Golden Knights announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned winger Jake Leschyshyn to Henderson of the AHL.  Leschyshyn has largely been a regular for Vegas this season, suiting up in 18 games while picking up a goal and three assists.  The move brings them down to just 11 forwards on their active roster which suggests they will soon be getting someone back.
  • The Kraken have recalled center Riley Sheahan from Charlotte of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 29-year-old cleared waivers earlier this month after recording just three points in 14 games with Seattle and got into four games with the Checkers where he picked up a goal and an assist.  He’ll take the place of defenseman Mark Giordano on the active roster after he was placed in COVID protocol on Friday.
  • The Ducks have returned centers Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Vinni Lettieri to San Diego of the AHL, per a team release. Groulx has seen regular minutes with Anaheim, playing in 16 games in his rookie season although he only has three points to show for it.  Meanwhile, Lettieri has suited up three times with the Ducks, collecting a goal and an assist.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top