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Red Wings Dismiss Ben Simon, Three Other AHL Coaches

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While the Red Wings aren’t expected to be making any changes to their NHL coaching staff, they will be shaking things up at the minor league level.  Their affiliate in Grand Rapids announced that they will not be renewing the contracts of head coach Ben Simon, assistant coaches Matt Macdonald and Todd Krygier, and goaltending development coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson.

Simon had been with Grand Rapids since 2015 when he joined the team as an assistant before being promoted to the top job in 2018.  In his five seasons behind the bench, the Griffins posted a 144-137-38 record but made only one postseason appearance in that stretch, that coming back in 2019.

As for the now-former assistants, Macdonald and Krygier had been working under Simon for five and four years, respectively, while Mahoney-Wilson had been working with Grand Rapids’ goaltenders since the 2016-17 campaign.

This season, Grand Rapids finished last in the Central Division which played a big role in the decision to make a change; Detroit GM Steve Yzerman emphasized in his season-ending press conference on Friday that he felt that a winning environment was crucial for player development.  He and Grand Rapids GM Shawn Horcoff will now be tasked with finding the right staff to make that happen.

Pacific Notes: Boeser, Johansson, Weegar, Sharks

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Canucks winger Brock Boeser has been featured in plenty of trade speculation in recent months but while a deal didn’t materialize last month, some have wondered if he’ll be on the move this summer.  But if the 26-year-old has his way, he won’t be going anywhere.  He told reporters including Thomas Drance of The Athletic (Twitter link) that he doesn’t want to be traded and would prefer to remain with Vancouver.  This season was a mixed bag for Boeser who actually came one point shy of matching his career high but he managed just 18 goals which isn’t a great return on a $6.65MM AAV.  He has two years remaining on his contract.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Canucks prospect Filip Johansson will be joining AHL Abbotsford for their playoff run, relays Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Minnesota back in 2018 but the Wild opted to take a compensatory second-round selection instead of signing him; Johansson signed with Vancouver soon after.  He played in 51 games with Frolunda of the SHL this season, picking up five goals and 16 assists, both career highs while also chipping in with five points in a dozen playoff contests.  This will be Johansson’s first taste of action in North America.
  • Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar will suit up for Canada at the upcoming World Championship, reports Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson. The 29-year-old had a bit of a down year in his first season with Calgary, seeing his point output dip from 44 to 31 (in 81 games) while his playing time was shaved by more than two minutes per game.  While Weegar’s current contract expires in June, he has already locked in with the Flames for the long haul, inking an eight-year, $50MM extension back in October.  This will be Weegar’s first time suiting up for Canada in an international tournament.
  • Sharks winger Tomas Hertl won’t be suiting up at the Worlds next month, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). The 29-year-old struggled defensively in what he called a challenging season but reached the 60-point mark for the second straight year and third time in his career while winning nearly 55% of his faceoffs.  His 63 points placed Hertl third on the team in scoring.  Meanwhile, in a separate tweet, Pashelka notes that center Nico Sturm will play for Germany in the tournament, his first time representing his home country.  The 27-year-old had a career year this season, collecting 14 goals and 12 assists in 74 games.

Ducks AHL Coach Roy Sommer To Retire

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It won’t just be a new head coach in Anaheim that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek will be looking for in the coming weeks.  There will be a vacancy to fill with their AHL affiliate in San Diego as well; the team announced that head coach Roy Sommer will retire following tonight’s season-ending contest against Colorado.

The 66-year-old is in his first season outside of San Jose’s organization in the better part of three decades.  Sommer spent 26 years behind the bench with their affiliates before departing and joining Anaheim last summer.  He is the winningest coach in AHL history with 828 while tonight’s contest will be his 1,814th, also a league record.

This season didn’t go as planned for Anaheim who finished at the bottom of the Western Conference and the NHL.  Meanwhile, things didn’t go much better for the Gulls as they also sit last in the Western Conference and AHL with just 43 points through 71 games.  With the Ducks battling injury trouble throughout the season, that put extra strain on San Diego that they clearly weren’t able to overcome.

This will be the second straight summer under Verbeek that he’ll be seeking an AHL bench boss.  Last summer, he fired Joel Bouchard after just one season in the role and with Sommer calling it a career after tonight, that search will resume.

Maple Leafs Recall Wayne Simmonds

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Now that the regular season has come to an end, there are no more salary cap restrictions in the NHL.  Accordingly, the Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have once again recalled winger Wayne Simmonds from AHL Toronto.

The 34-year-old was sent down a total of seven times this season although he never did suit up for the Marlies; he has never suited up for a game in the minors in his career.  The reason behind those frequent demotions was largely salary cap-related but with that no longer in play and roster restrictions being lifted after the trade deadline, Simmonds should be up for the duration of Toronto’s playoff run.

It has been a tough season for Simmonds overall who was limited to just 18 games with the Maple Leafs in between the demotions, a career low.  His playing time also dipped to the lowest of his career as he logged just 7:27, dropping for the sixth season in a row.

At this point, it’s difficult to see them putting Simmonds into their lineup when their series against Tampa Bay begins next week but with AHL Toronto potentially primed for a long playoff run of their own after winning the North Division, the Maple Leafs won’t have many spare forwards on their roster when the series starts.  Accordingly, if there are some injuries, Simmonds could have a chance to see some action as the first round progresses.

Blue Jackets Assign Six Players To AHL

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Following the conclusion of their regular season last night, the Blue Jackets wasted little time making some roster moves.  Following that contest, they announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defensemen Samuel Knazko, Stanislav Svozil, and Billy Sweezey along with forwards Tyler Angle, Joona Luoto, and Mikael Pyyhtia to AHL Cleveland.

Knazko made his professional debut in North America this season and has suited up in 49 games with the Monsters this season, picking up a goal and 20 assists.  He got into two contests with Columbus this month, averaging a little under 16 minutes per night of playing time.

Svozil spent most of this season with Regina of the WHL where he had a very productive season, picking up 11 goals and 67 assists in 56 games; his 78 points were the third-highest in the league.  He actually has yet to play in the AHL but also has suited up twice for Columbus, recording an assist in his debut on Thursday while logging over 20 minutes a night.

As for Sweezey, he has had a bit more experience in Columbus, suiting up in nine games for them this season, picking up an assist along with 39 hits and 20 blocked shots in his first taste of NHL action.  He has 11 assists in 55 contests in the minors this year.

Angle is nothing if not consistent.  He has 11 goals with Cleveland this season, matching his output from 2020-21 and 2021-22 in the process.  He also now has his first NHL tally in the books after scoring on Friday against Buffalo.

Luoto has been back and forth between the two clubs in recent weeks.  He got into seven games with the Blue Jackets this year in his first NHL action since the 2019-20 campaign with Winnipeg while he has collected 14 goals and 11 assists in 45 games with the Monsters.

Lastly, Pyyhtia spent the bulk of the year playing in Finland with TPS Turku of the SM-liiga before being assigned to Cleveland last month.  He has played in six games with the Monsters so far, scoring three times while he picked up an assist in his two games with Columbus.

All six players will have an opportunity to play in two more games this weekend as the Monsters wrap up their season.  However, with none of them available to play for Cleveland last night, they lost to Utica, eliminating them from playoff contention.

AHL Shuffle: 04/14/23

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With just two games left on the regular-season schedule, today marks the first day of the offseason for quite a few clubs. As a result, many are sending players down to their AHL squads so that their affiliates can have as many reinforcements as possible for crucial late-season games. We’ll keep track of those moves here:

  • The Montreal Canadiens have reassigned forwards Lucas Condotta and Joel Teasdale, along with defenseman Frederic Allard, to the Laval Rocket. Condotta memorably got his first NHL goal on his first NHL shift last night, and Teasdale got an assist on the play as well, which was his first NHL point. Allard, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first NHL point with four career games played. All three players will join the Rocket in their final regular-season game tonight, a crucial matchup against the Syracuse Crunch that Laval will hope to win to distance themselves from the Cleveland Monsters for the Northeast Division’s final playoff spot.
  • The St. Louis Blues reassigned defenseman Tyler Tucker and goalie Vadim Zherenko to their affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Tucker has played 26 games in the NHL this season and has 21 points in 39 AHL games, last playing for Springfield on April 8th. Zherenko, 22, has a .918 save percentage through 18 games for Springfield this season and was a 2019 seventh-round pick. The Thunderbirds have their playoff spot locked up but with three games remaining can still earn a higher seed.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks reassigned forwards Buddy Robinson and Joey Anderson to their affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. The IceHogs are in pole position to claim the final playoff spot in the Central Division and can still feasibly catch the Iowa Wild for the number-four seed. Robinson, 31, is coming off an impressive two-game stretch with the Blackhawks where he scored three points, including his first goal of the year in Tuesday’s stunning 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anderson, 24, was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Jake McCabe trade and scored six points in 24 games with Chicago.
  • The Minnesota Wild reassigned Samuel Walker, Damien Giroux, Nick Swaney, and Marco Rossi to their affiliate, the Iowa Wild, and placed veteran forward Nic Petan on waivers for the purpose of reassignment. The biggest name here is Rossi, 21, the 9th overall pick at the 2020 draft who has 50 points in 51 games.
  • The Washington Capitals have reassigned forwards Aliaksei Protas, Joe Snively, and Beck Malenstyn to the Hershey Bears. Hershey is gearing up for what they hope will be a long Calder Cup playoff run, and both Snively and Protas will likely be counted-on scorers for head coach Todd Nelson. Additionally, the Capitals reassigned prospect Alexander Suzdalev to Hershey from the WHL’s Regina Pats, whose reason recently ended. The 2022 70th overall pick scored 38 goals and 86 points this season playing alongside expected 2023 number-one pick Connor Bedard.
  • The Boston Bruins reassigned goaltender Brandon Bussi to the Providence Bruins. Bussi, who was recently named to the AHL’s all-rookie team, backed up Jeremy Swayman yesterday during the team’s win over the Montreal Canadiens. The 24-year-old posted a 21-5-4 record and .925 save percentage this season for Providence, who still have a chance to take the number-one seed in the Atlantic Division.
  • The San Jose Sharks reassigned forwards Thomas Bordeleau and Tristen Robins, two of the team’s top forward prospects, back to the San Jose Barracuda. The Barracuda are eliminated from postseason contention and have two games left in their season, each against the Tucson Roadrunners. Both players have had productive years, with Bordeleau scoring 22 goals and 41 points in 64 games and Robins netting 17 goals and 38 points.
  • The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Christian Wolanin on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Abbotsford is looking to seize the third seed in the Pacific Division from the Colorado Eagles and getting Wolanin back will absolutely help them do that, seeing as he’s scored 55 points in 49 games this season. The 28-year-old veteran of 86 NHL games is under contract for another season and will likely remain Abbotsford’s go-to offensive blueliner.
  • The Winnipeg Jets reassigned forward Dominic Toninato to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Toninato was recalled yesterday and played 11 and a half minutes in the Jets’ loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Toninato has 19 goals and 33 points in 49 games this season and will now be on hand to help the Moose for their Calder Cup playoff run.
  • The Arizona Coyotes reassigned five players to the Tucson Roadrunners today: Victor Soderstrom, Michael Kesselring, Milos Kelemen, Jan Jenik, and Ivan Prosvetov. The Roadrunners are gearing up for the Calder Cup playoffs, and now get some important players back into their lineup, including Prosvetov, their starting goalie, and Soderstrom, the 11th overall pick of the 2019 draft.

This page may be updated throughout the day

Arizona Coyotes Recall Michael Kesselring

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The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The Coyotes finish their season with a game against the Vancouver Canucks tonight, so Kesselring will have the chance to tack on one last NHL appearance before likely heading back to play for the Roadrunners tomorrow against the San Jose Barracuda.

Kesselring, 23, last played in the NHL in a March 26th loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He registered an assist and just under 16 minutes of ice time in that game, and overall this year has just that one point in eight NHL games. Kesselring has spent most of this season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, having been acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in the Nick Bjugstad trade.

The Coyotes were likely intrigued by the upside Kesselring might have, as he’s an ever-valuable right-shot defenseman and stands six-foot-four, 190 pounds. Offensively, Kesselring’s had an interesting season as he’s scored 14 goals and 14 assists in 59 games.

It’s not often that you see defensemen scoring the same amount of goals and assists, though it’s worth noting that before this year Kesselring had only scored single-digit goals in each prior season of his prospect career.

The Roadrunners have clinched their playoff spot, so it’s likely that Kesselring heads back there after tonight’s game. Kesselring plays a top-pairing role in Tucson, meaning if the Roadrunners go on any sort of run in the Calder Cup playoffs, it’s likely that he’ll be a major reason why.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Zach Metsa

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Freshly off leading his team to an NCAA National Championship title, now-former Quinnipiac University Bobcat captain Zach Metsa has decided to sign a 2-year contract with the Rochester Americans, the AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. For the remainder of this season, Metsa will join the Americans on a professional tryout agreement.

Metsa finished off his five-year career with Quinnipiac in impressive fashion, scoring nine goals and 28 assists in 40 regular season games. During this year’s Frozen Four, Metsa helped his team to the National Championship, scoring one goal and three assists through the Frozen Four. In total, the young defenseman played in 177 regular season games in the NCAA, scoring 31 goals and 90 assists.

Currently 35-25-6, the Americans have already clinched a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs. Being one of the most historic franchises in the AHL, Metsa will help Rochester in their attempt to win their seventh Calder Cup in franchise history.

If the season were to end today, the Americans would have a first-round bye into the division semifinals, where they would take on the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Syracuse Crunch. With nine defensemen already on the roster in Rochester, it will be interesting to see how Metsa fits into the lineup down the stretch, and especially during the playoffs.

Washington Capitals Reassign Henrik Borgstrom

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April 13: Borgstrom has been returned to the AHL after making his season debut and seeing just eight minutes of ice time.

April 11: The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Henrik Borgstrom from the AHL’s Hershey Bears, the team announced Tuesday.

Borgstrom joins the Capitals due to a rash of injuries as their season draws to a disappointing close. T.J. Oshie, Nic Dowd, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Anthony Mantha will stay out of the lineup tonight against the Boston Bruins, per head coach Peter Laviolette. Alex Ovechkin will also sit out of the lineup, not traveling with the team due to an upper-body injury. He remains day-to-day.

With just a few days left on the 2022-23 regular season calendar, this is Borgstrom’s first recall since clearing waivers at the beginning of the year. The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal with Washington in free agency after the Chicago Blackhawks did not issue him a qualifying offer.

He’s recorded 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 54 games with Hershey this season, disappointing production for the 2016 23rd overall pick. The 6-foot-3, 199-pound forward had seven points in 52 games as a full-time Blackhawk last year.

Borgstrom’s offensive production has trailed off since leaving the University of Denver in 2018, where he recorded 52 points in 40 games during his sophomore campaign. He’s managed just over 100 NHL games since then, failing to make any notable impact.

Noah Juulsen Placed On Waivers

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The Vancouver Canucks aren’t going to make the playoffs this season, but the Abbotsford Canucks sure are. The AHL club has secured its postseason berth and will soon start a Calder Cup run. They may get a reinforcement, as Noah Juulsen has been placed on waivers today by Vancouver for the purpose of assignment to the AHL.

Juulsen, 26, was included in a paper transaction at the deadline so that he is eligible for the minor league postseason, and will now officially rejoin Abbotsford to help on the run. The 2015 first-round pick has bounced back and forth throughout his entire career, never able to establish himself as a full-time NHLer.

It’s been a very disrupted path for Juulsen, who has dealt with scary eye injuries, team changes, and a lack of consistent playing time. Since debuting in 2017, he has only played 223 professional games, and more than half of those have come since joining the Canucks organization in 2021.

It is almost unthinkable for him to be claimed at this point in the year, meaning he should have no issue reporting to Abbotsford and trying to help them win a Calder in the coming weeks.

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