Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

AHL

Minor Transactions: Kesselring, Berard, Krygier, Pivonka

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have announced via a press release that they have recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from their AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. Since being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Nick Bjugstad trade, Kesselring has now been recalled on an emergency loan for the fourth time in just under three weeks.

After having a productive season with the Oilers’ AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors, Kesselring has played three games for the Roadrunners, scoring two points, and four games for the Coyotes, scoring zero points. Given the seemingly unending rotating door that Kesselring has found himself in, this will likely not be the last time he will find himself being emergency recalled this year.

Other notes:

  • The New York Rangers have signed prospect Brett Berard to an entry-level contract that will kick in next year. In the meantime, the Providence College product will join the team’s AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout basis. The contract will run until the end of the 2025-26 season, paying the forward $925K in the NHL, and $80K in the AHL. Drafted 134th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Berard capped off a solid career at Providence, playing in a total of 91 regular season games, scoring 33 goals and 39 assists.
  • Jacob Pivonka will be joining the Bridgeport Islanders on an ATO today. Drafted 104th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, the young forward played a majority of his collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame, but ultimately finished it at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In his four-year college career, Pivonka played in 126 regular-season games, scoring 17 goals and 29 assists.
  • Also joining Pivonka in Bridgeport on an ATO will be defenseman Christian Krygier from Michigan State University. This will be the second transaction in as many days for the Krygier family, as his brother, Cole Krygier, just had his rights acquired by the Los Angeles Kings. Christian managed to accrue five seasons in the NCAA after being given another season of eligibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic and managed to score 20 points for the Spartans.

Atlantic Notes: Brodie, Luff, Richard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

David Alter of Sports Illustrated reports that per head coach Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenseman T.J. Brodie will not be in the lineup tonight. Keefe confirms that Brodie has been fine for the most part, but remains a little banged up as the Maple Leafs continue their final stretch toward the playoffs. During a flurry of trade deadline activity, the Maple Leafs have added Conor Timmins, Erik Gustafsson, Luke Schenn, and Jake McCabe, while only moving defenseman Rasmus Sandin off their roster.

Keefe did not specifically use the word “maintenance”, but with nine defensemen on the active roster ready to fill in, this is exactly what it seems like for Brodie tonight. Having been placed on the injured reserve twice already this year, Brodie is having a down year for his standards. Playing in only 47 games so far this season, Brodie has two goals and nine assists for the Maple Leafs. Although his point scoring is down, Brodie has still been racking up the blocked shots and serving valuable minutes on Toronto’s penalty kill.

Other notes:

  • The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have recalled forward Matt Luff from their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. Playing in his first season in the Red Wings’ organization, Luff actually missed over two months of play from an injury at the beginning of the season. Playing in only seven games for Detroit, the forward has scored one goal this year. In the minor leagues, Luff has been a very productive forward for the Griffins, scoring 25 points in 28 games.
  • Being recalled on emergency loan on March 9th, the Montreal Canadiens have sent forward Anthony Richard back to their AHL affiliate Laval Rocket. Playing in 13 games this season for the Canadiens, Richard has scored three goals and two assists. Unlike his production in the NHL, Richard has been one of the best players in Laval this season, if not one of the best players in the minor leagues altogether. In 49 games played for Laval, the forward has scored 24 goals and 31 assists.

Toronto Maple Leafs Return Alex Steeves, Joseph Woll To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned a pair of players to the minor leagues, sending Alex Steeves and Joseph Woll back to the AHL. Woll’s departure suggests that Ilya Samsonov, whose wife is due to give birth, will be available to start tonight against the New York Islanders.

Woll, 24, is having the best season of his professional career, with a .928 save percentage in 18 appearances with the Toronto Marlies and a .938 in three games with the Maple Leafs. The young netminder has battled through several injuries in the early part of his career, but appears to be turning the corning—at least on the performance side of things—and living up to his billing as a top goaltending prospect.

Steeves, meanwhile, is in his second pro season after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, and has 17 goals and 45 points in 55 games for the Marlies. That is nearly the exactly same pace as last season, but it has yet to result in consistent NHL playing time. Through six career games, three of which have come this season, Steeves has yet to score a goal with the Maple Leafs.

Dallas Stars Recall Remi Poirier

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Just a year after signing his entry-level contract, Remi Poirier is headed to the NHL. The young goaltender has been recalled today by the Dallas Stars, replacing Matt Murray on the roster as the backup for Jake Oettinger as Scott Wedgewood deals with an injury.

Poirier, 21, is in his first season as a professional, splitting time between the Texas Stars of the AHL and Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. In ten appearances with the former, he has posted a 5-3-2 record with a .913 save percentage. That number is better than any of the seasons he put up in the QMJHL, and suggests that the Stars might have found a bit of a diamond in the sixth round of the 2020 draft.

This recall will not likely result in any playing time, but it’s a bit of a financial bonus for the young goaltender after a strong season. Dallas is in action tonight against the Seattle Kraken, where Oettinger is expected to make his 54th appearance of the season. Texas, meanwhile, has a game of their own against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, where Murray can get back into game action.

Minor Transactions: 03/20/23

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s been a busy day across the hockey world, with multiple top European professional leagues in the thick of their playoffs. In Sweden, Djurgardens IF took a step towards promotion back to the SHL with a 4-1 victory over BIK Karlskoga, while both Skelleftea and Vaxjo completed dominant wins in their own playoff contests. In Finland, eight teams did battle in playoff matchups with highlights including a 1-0 overtime victory for HIFK Helsinki thanks to a goal from former Edmonton Oiler Iiro Pakarinen. As hockey fans across the globe enjoy all the action from Europe to the NHL, teams are still making adjustments to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.

  • Montreal Canadiens prospect Alexander Gordin had his contract terminated by his KHL club, HK Sochi. The 2020 sixth-round pick spent most of the season at the second-tier VHL level, scoring eight goals and 12 points for HK Rostov. He notched two points in six KHL games for Sochi, although he didn’t see a whole lot of ice time, including one game where he played just 25 seconds. The Canadiens have the exclusive rights to sign Gordin indefinitely, and although there is no word on whether he’s planning on heading to North America, this contract termination does give him options for where to continue his development.
  • Five-year NCAA veteran Michael Underwood, 24, signed a PTO agreement with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles today. Underwood spent this season with Michigan State University in the Big 10, scoring five points in 38 games. The six-foot-one stay-at-home defenseman won the ECAC with Clarkson University in 2018-19, and will get his first taste of pro action with the Eagles, who are currently trying to lock up a Calder Cup playoff spot.
  • The ECHL’s Florida Everblades signed Chayse Primeau, who is the son of former NHLer Keith Primeau and the brother of Montreal Canadiens AHL netminder Cayden Primeau. The 25-year-old has spent the past five seasons with playing college hockey, spending four years with the University of Nebraska-Omaha before transferring to Notre Dame for his final year. He has amassed 95 points in 154 career games, and was named an NCHC Second-Team All-Star in his senior season at Nebraska. He’ll now join the Everblades, who are right in the thick of a competitive race for the ECHL’s South Division title.
  • After four seasons as a regular contributor at the SHL level for Vaxjo, netminder Viktor Andren struggled after signing a two-year deal with Brynas IF. He was eventually loaned down a level, to HockeyAllsvenskan, and has spent most of his time there over the past few seasons, save for brief cameos with the top division. This season, though, Andren has thoroughly impressed, posting a 2.04 goals-against-average and .921 save percentage for Almtuna IS. While he was unable to earn his club promotion to the SHL, his strong performance could pave his way back to Sweden’s top league. SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson reports that Andren has decided to play for Djurgardens next season. As previously mentioned, Djurgardens is currently in the race to be promoted back to the SHL, and should they make it there Andren would see time in their crease, potentially in a tandem arrangement with Vegas Golden Knights prospect Carl Lindblom.
  • HockeyAllsvenskan’s IF Bjorkloven has signed two key players to contract extensions: 2018 Buffalo Sabres fourth-round pick Linus Cronholm, and two-time Champions Hockey League winner Mattias Norstebo. Both blueliners have played regular minutes for Bjorkloven and are currently attempting to defeat Vasteras IK in the chase for promotion to the SHL. The Sabres let Cronholm’s rights expire this past summer, choosing not to sign him to an entry-level contract, but he nonetheless seems to be fashioning himself a solid pro career in Sweden.
  • Patrick Obrist is extending his playing relationship with Swiss club EHC Kloten for a ninth season. The 30-year-old Austrian was on hand when the team suffered relegation from Switzerland’s top league in 2017-18, and helped lead them to promotion last season. This season, he scored five goals and nine points in 47 games and helped Kloten avoid relegation.
  • After spending the last year with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, forward Tyler Kobryn has been released, according to the ECHL’s official transactions wire. The 26-year-old has scored 26 points in 120 career ECHL games, including six goals and nine points in 39 games this season. The former NCAA Division III forward’s release could be motivated in part by the recent signing of college free agent Mitch Walinski, who has scored three points in his first five games in the ECHL.
  • The ECHL’s Wichita Thunder have released forward Brett Van Os, a player they acquired in a January trade from the Norfolk Admirals. The former Western Michigan University forward scored 12 points in 25 games for Wichita, but may be ceding his spot on the team to recent signing Jason Pineo and trade acquisition Brett Boeing.

Snapshots: Tychonick, Ruotsalainen, Brink

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

An interesting signing took place this morning, permitted only by a technicality. Ottawa Senators 2018 second-round pick Jonny Tychonick signed a two-year AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies, beginning this season, according to the team.

While he’s signing with a team in the Maple Leafs organization, his NHL rights are still held by Ottawa, albeit for what will likely be a short period of time. Tychonick’s exclusive signing rights will expire on August 15, 2023, standard procedure for collegiate players who have exhausted their college eligibility and have not yet signed an NHL contract.

The move signals it’s unlikely Tychonick will sign an NHL deal with Ottawa by that time. After a pair of disappointing seasons at the University of North Dakota, Tychonick transferred to the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2020, where he finally saw an offensive breakout this season as a fifth-year player, recording eight goals and 18 assists in 35 games.

More from around the hockey world this morning:

  • Forward Arttu Ruotsalainen’s time with EHC Kloten of the Swiss National League has ended, according to a team announcement. Ruotsalainen, 25, did not accept his qualifying offer from the Buffalo Sabres last offseason, instead opting for more opportunity in Europe, where he scored 42 points in 52 games with Kloten. If a return to the NHL is in the cards for Ruotsalainen this summer, it will be with Buffalo barring a trade, as the Sabres still hold the undrafted forward’s NHL rights.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now says the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to give winger Bobby Brink an NHL look soon. After an offseason hip injury cost him the beginning of the 2022-23 season, the 21-year-old Brink has 19 points in 31 games with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 34th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft also had four assists in 10 games with the Flyers last year, his first stint in the NHL.

Seattle Kraken Recall Joey Daccord Under Emergency Conditions

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Seattle Kraken have called up netminder Joey Daccord from the minors under emergency conditions, the team announced Monday midday.

Daccord presumably comes up to the Kraken roster to relieve Philipp Grubauer, who left the Kraken’s Saturday loss to the Edmonton Oilers with an undisclosed illness. Grubauer allowed three goals on 10 shots before leaving the game early in the second period.

With Seattle in a battle for playoff positioning, don’t expect Daccord to see much action during his third recall of the season. Considering that Grubauer’s absence appears to be a short one, Martin Jones should see all of the starts until Grubauer is ready to return.

That’s unless Jones falters mightily, which isn’t out of the picture. He’s made just three appearances in the month of March, recording a .807 save percentage and two losses. However, Daccord has only gotten into game action once for the Kraken this year, saving 36 out of 40 shots in a 5-4 win against the Calgary Flames back on November 1, 2022. It will likely take some serious missteps for the more experienced Jones to sit for Daccord at such a critical point in the season.

With that being said, Daccord’s numbers in the AHL have been strong for a second consecutive season. In 34 appearances with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the 26-year-old Daccord has a 2.43 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage, three shutouts, and a 24-6-3 record.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Egor Zamula

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to a team announcement, the Philadelphia Flyers recalled defenseman Egor Zamula from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Monday morning.

This is Zamula’s fourth recall of the season but his first in almost four months. As the season winds down, the Flyers will continue to focus on shifting ice time to their younger players.

At 22, Zamula is one of the more highly-regarded defense prospects in the organization. In 11 games with Philadelphia this season, he’s registered two assists, his first points in the NHL.

Set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, Zamula is still looking to find his offensive footing in the minors. His 16 points in 42 games with Lehigh Valley are a step back from last year’s totals and a further step back from his last two seasons in junior hockey with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, where he neared a point-per-game pace.

Zamula’s recall gives Philadelphia eight defensemen on the NHL roster, and it’s unclear how they’ll slot the undrafted prospect into their lineup, if at all. They’ll have plenty of opportunity, though, with four games left on their current seven-game homestand.

Montreal Canadiens Reassign Emil Heineman To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens reassigned forward prospect Emil Heineman to the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Monday, per a team announcement.

Heineman, 21, arrived in the Canadiens organization last year in the second trade of his career. Initially a 2020 second-round selection of the Florida Panthers, Heineman’s signing rights were first transferred to the Calgary Flames in the Sam Bennett trade before he was again flipped to Montreal in the Tyler Toffoli deal.

Since being drafted in 2020, the 6’2″, 194 lb forward has played almost exclusively with Leksands IF in the SHL, aside from one game back in juniors in 2020-21. It’s the organization where he’s spent his entire career, all the way back to U16 hockey in 2015.

Signed to an entry-level contract for this season, Montreal opted to loan Heineman back to Leksands for another year of development in Sweden. He responded by scoring eight goals and 15 points in 35 games, roughly on track with the 16 points in 38 games he posted the season before.

Heineman shuffled up and down the Leksands lineup this season, seeing fourth-line ice time in some games and first-line ice time in others. He joins a Laval team that’s currently on the outside looking in of the Calder Cup playoff picture but sits only one point back of the Belleville Senators with a game in hand for the final playoff spot in the AHL’s North Division.

Nashville Predators Recall Jordan Gross

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With captain Roman Josi out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the team has recalled defenseman Jordan Gross from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

This is Gross’ third recall of the season, per CapFriendly, and his first since the calendar turned to 2023. In 10 games with Nashville across his previous two recalls, he recorded three goals and averaged 18:48 of ice time.

Gross joined the Predators organization last offseason, inking a two-year deal after he recorded over a point per game with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He hasn’t hit that offensive mark in the minors this year, but he does have a strong 31 points in 45 games for Milwaukee.

The undrafted 27-year-old is expected to step into a top-four role tonight for Nashville. Additional injuries to Ryan McDonagh and Alexandre Carrier are stretching their defensive depth to the limit.

Of note, Gross’ contract is set to convert from a two-way deal to a one-way deal next season. With Nashville’s retool in full swing after a series of trade deadline moves, Gross is an outside candidate to play a more significant role with the Preds next season.

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

scroll to top