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Nashville Predators Assign Joakim Kemell To AHL

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One of the Nashville Predators’ best prospects is about to get his first taste of professional hockey in North America. Nashville today assigned 2022 first-round pick Joakim Kemell to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, per a tweet from the team’s affiliate.

Kemell, a right wing, spent the 2022-23 season on loan from Nashville to JYP in Liiga, the organization where he’s spent his entire junior and professional career so far. His offensive production took a step back from his draft year, though, scoring 15 points in 43 games after scoring 23 in 39 last year.

Things deteriorated for Kemell down the stretch, with his scoring growing more inconsistent as his ice time waned. He had a solid start to the campaign, going on a four-game point streak early on, but he couldn’t replicate his success throughout the season.

Now, he gets a chance to regain some confidence and some scoring touch in Milwaukee. He joins other notable Preds prospects, such as goalie Yaroslav Askarov and forward Egor Afanasyev, as the Admirals continue their stretch run.

Detroit Red Wings Recall Austin Czarnik, Simon Edvinsson

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The Detroit Red Wings recalled center Austin Czarnik and defenseman Simon Edvinsson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins today under emergency conditions, as announced in a team release.

This is Edvinsson’s first recall to the NHL, and it could mean the 2021 sixth-overall pick makes his NHL debut over the weekend. He takes the place of Ben Chiarot on the roster, who is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The 20-year-old Edvinsson has five goals, 27 points, and a -3 rating with the Griffins this season, his first in North America. Detroit inked him to an entry-level contract at the end of last season after Edvinsson broke into professional hockey full-time with Frölunda HC of the SHL.

Czarnik returns to Detroit after the team returned him to Grand Rapids earlier in the week. The diminutive, versatile forward has two goals and an assist in 15 appearances with the Red Wings this season. He will likely center the fourth line between Adam Erne and Alex Chiasson in tomorrow’s game against Colorado.

While a late-season slide unfortunately took Detroit out of the playoff picture just as the deadline approached, the benefits of selling can be seen here for a young team. Getting Edvinsson into some NHL games down the stretch could go a long way toward creating an NHL-ready player for next season.

Cleveland Monsters Sign Justin Pearson To AHL Contract

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Former NCAA forward Justin Pearson has signed an AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters, the team announced on Twitter.

Pearson signed an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of this season, as well as a two-year AHL contract that begins in the 2023-24 season.

Pearson, 24, played since 2018-19 in the NCAA ranks. With the 2020-21 season canceled, Pearson played two years before that season and two years after at the college level.

He recorded 36 goals and 43 assists in 129 games played. His best seasons were a 14 goal, 10 assist season in 2019-20 for Yale University and this past season at the University of Connecticut, with 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 35 games.

Pearson joins a Monsters team that currently sits in last place in the AHL’s North Division, and will have 16 games remaining in this season’s schedule to get his feet wet in professional hockey.

As an older player than most who are entering pro hockey for the first time, Pearson is further along in his development than younger prospects. He will likely be counted on to produce during his initial foray into the AHL, and will have the next two seasons to prove what he can do at the professional level.

 

Emil Andrae Signing AHL ATO

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The Philadelphia Flyers haven’t quite signed Emil Andrae yet, but he is joining the organization nonetheless. The young Swede will play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms down the stretch on an AHL amateur tryout, now that his SHL season has ended.

Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic tweets that the plan is still for Andrae to sign an entry-level contract with the Flyers at some point, likely one beginning in 2023-24. The team holds his exclusive draft rights until June 1, 2024.

The 21-year-old Andrae was the 54th overall selection in 2020, and broke out this season in his first full year of SHL action. With six goals and 26 points, he ranked 13th among league defensemen in scoring and now joins the Flyers as a potential building block.

Despite his size—Andrae stands just 5’8″—there has never been a doubt of his willingness to work in the corners or engage attackers in front of the net. The question now will be whether he can remain effective at those things as he transitions to North America, while still bringing a high level of poise and skill when the puck is on his stick.

Senators Recall Ridly Greig

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Late last month, the Senators sent Ridly Greig back to Belleville to get some more playing time.  Now, they’ve decided the time is right to bring him back up to the big club as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the center from AHL Belleville.

The 20-year-old played in 11 games with Ottawa during his first stint with the big club, picking up a goal and three assists while averaging 13:29 per contest, decent numbers for his first NHL opportunity.  However, Greig has been considerably more productive in the minors, collecting 13 goals and 14 helpers in 35 contests although he only picked up a point in two of the seven games he played since being sent down.

In Ottawa’s announcement, it wasn’t clear if this is an emergency recall or a regular one which would count against their post-deadline limit of four.  They have 14 forwards on their active roster but wingers Parker Kelly and Mathieu Joseph are both battling injuries, bringing them down to the minimum of 12.  If there is another injury, then Greig’s recall could be classified as an emergency one.

Minor Transactions: 03/15/23

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With the trade deadline long past us, playoff races are heating up across the NHL. The Buffalo Sabres are looking to end the league’s longest playoff drought, and their uphill climb to clinch a spot continues tonight as they take on the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs will get the chance to test themselves against the defending Stanley Cup champions. While hockey fans across the globe take in tonight’s games, teams in minor and foreign leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.

  • Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola could be headed to Switzerland for next season, according to a report from Swiss outlet Watson. After playing four seasons in the Penguins organization, Riikola returned to Europe this summer, signing with the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn. He’s done well for himself in Sweden, scoring 19 points in 42 games as an alternate captain, and is now rumored to be heading to the SCL Tigers, a team in the top tier of Swiss hockey.
  • The San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, have signed University of Connecticut captain Roman Kinal, a six-foot-two 24-year-old defenseman, to an ATO agreement. This deal will allow him to be with the Barracuda as they grapple for position in the AHL’s Pacific Division, giving him his first professional experience. As their recent trade for Harvard Blueliner Henry Thrun suggested, the Sharks organization is expected to look to mine talent from the NCAA ranks, so adding an experienced college player furthers that strategy.
  • Former Washington Capitals prospect Colby Williams has signed a one-year extension with his current club, KHL side Admiral Vladivostok. The former Regina Pats captain played his first season away from North America this year, after he signed with Vladivostok over the summer. After six seasons patrolling the blueline in the AHL, Williams scored 18 points in 67 games in Russia, a performance that earned him a one-year contract extension.
  • After nine seasons and 441 games with the DEL’s Augsburger Panthers, including the last three as their captain, Calgary native Brady Lamb will be playing elsewhere. The team has announced they and Lamb have parted ways. Lamb, who led the DEL in assists by a defenseman in 2017-18, has been a the face of the Panthers in recent years, helping them reach the playoffs twice in his tenure there. Augsburg endured a difficult 2022-23 season, and now they’ll look for a fresh face of their franchise moving forward.
  • Former New York Islander Johan Sundstrom is headed to Finland to continue his career, per a report from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson. The 30-year-old got 11 games with the Islanders in 2013-14 and has since played in Sweden, Russia, and China. After scoring 13 goals and 31 points for Frolunda in his first year back from the KHL, his effectiveness and role have declined, and he did not get into games for the club this season despite remaining on their payroll. Now, according to this report, he’ll be headed to Liiga’s Vaasan Sport to continue his pro career.
  • Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Markus Hannikainen will leave his current club, the SHL’s HC Linkoping, according to a team announcement. The 29-year-old, who has 91 career NHL games on his resume, was unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension with the club. Since leaving North America in the summer of 2020, Hannikainen played two years for Jokerit Helsinki in the KHL before spending last season playing for Mannheim in Germany. He scored eight goals and 19 points in the SHL this season and will now look to find the next stop in his career.
  • Canadian Craig Schira, former captain of SHL side Rogle BK, will also not be returning to Linkoping for next season. He scored eight points in 76 games across two seasons for Linkoping and leaves after a difficult season that ended with Linkoping just outside the SHL’s relegation zone. He’s played in Europe since 2011-12 since leaving the Belleville Senators and has been an important defenseman for quite a few teams.
  • Defenseman Eric Martinsson, who played in 13 games for the Minnesota Wild organization in 2018-19, is leaving the SHL’s HV71. The two-time SHL champion has spent two of the last three seasons at HV71, save for last year, which he spent playing in the KHL in Kazakhstan. He scored 37 points in 51 games for HV71 in 2020-21, but registered only 12 points this season, a decline that possibly prompted this parting of ways.
  • The ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies have released defenseman Joey Colatarci, per the ECHL’s official transactions report. Colatarci, 28, has been a regular for the Grizzlies for the past two seasons but hasn’t registered a single point in 30 games this season. Now, the six-foot-two blueliner will look to find another club to continue his career in North America’s third-tier league.
  • 23-year-old defenseman Jacob Semik, an alternate captain for Arizona State University, has signed with the Grizzlies. His arrival could be seen as taking the place of the released Colatarci, who plays a similar style to him. By adding Semik, the Grizzlies give a college player a chance to make his professional debut and the opportunity to begin the process of climbing North America’s pro hockey ladder.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Minor Moves: Red Wings, Bruins, Kraken, Coyotes, Panthers

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This morning, the Detroit Red Wings assigned Matt Luff and Austin Czarnik to the AHL, as they await a game later this week. The Red Wings don’t play again until Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, giving them a chance to save some money in the meantime.

Here are some other minor moves from around the league today:

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko under emergency conditions, after sending him down yesterday. Lauko hasn’t played since March 2 and has just 12 appearances this season, but has been bounced back and forth between leagues whenever the team is dealing with injuries. Through those 12 matches, he has five points in his first taste of NHL action.
  • The Seattle Kraken have recalled John Hayden from the AHL, as they hit the road for a game in San Jose tomorrow night. The Kraken are coming off consecutive losses to the Dallas Stars and have now slipped below the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division playoff race. Hayden, 28, has just two points in five NHL games this year.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned forward Bokondji Imama to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The 26-year-old is an alternate captain for the Coyotes’ farm team, where he has provided hard-working physical play and 12 points of offense at that level. He’s played the last two games for the Coyotes, seeing time in both of the team’s consecutive overtime wins.
  • The Florida Panthers have swapped goalies on their NHL roster, sending down 2022 Calder Cup Champion Alex Lyon in favor of rookie Mack Guzda. The move allows the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, to get the more experienced goaltender as they look to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks Recall Anton Khudobin

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In the Max Domi trade, which saw the Dallas Stars send a second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks, another contract was included to even out the money. That was veteran goaltender Anton Khudobin, who had been playing in the AHL with the Texas Stars all season.

Now, after Petr Mrazek’s latest groin injury, the Blackhawks have recalled Khudobin from the minor leagues. The 36-year-old goaltender will get a chance to appear in the NHL for a 14th season and add to his 114 wins.

When Khudobin led the Stars to an improbable Stanley Cup Finals appearance in the 2020 bubble playoffs, posting a .917 save percentage in 25 playoff games, he was rewarded with a three-year, $10MM contract. After the first year, the team already regretted it as young Jake Oettinger started to make his mark, and Khudobin’s performance dropped.

As he nears the end of that deal, the 36-year-old netminder has been buried in the minor leagues all season, collecting his full $3.75MM salary but playing AHL competition. He went 13-4-4 with Texas, but posted an .899 save percentage that doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.

Still, with nothing to lose for the Blackhawks, they can give Khudobin a chance at the highest level again. Where his future lies after this season isn’t clear, but for now, he’ll be suiting up for the sixth team of his career.

Shakir Mukhamadullin Returning To North America

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One of the most significant pieces of the Timo Meier trade was prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin, the 20th overall pick from 2020. The San Jose Sharks nabbed the big defender as a potential long-term piece of their blueline, but there is still some debate over when he’ll actually debut for the organization.

Mukhamadullin is coming to San Jose this week, according to Sheng Peng of SJ Hockey Now, but it is not clear if he will play pro games down the stretch for the Sharks or the AHL Barracuda.

It’s been a long season already for the 21-year-old defenseman, who played in 67 regular season games for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, before a grueling six-game first-round exit in the playoffs, which included three overtime losses.

If he does suit up for the Barracuda, it wouldn’t be his first time in the AHL. Mukhamadullin played three playoff games for the Utica Comets last season after his KHL year ended, recording two points. He signed his entry-level contract back in 2021 and has just been on loan to his Russian club, meaning the Sharks could also add him to the NHL roster, if they choose.

With 15 games left to play, the team could give him a short taste of the NHL to see where his game is before he heads into the offseason. Mukhamadullin might be a full-time option for San Jose next season, especially if they continue to pull veterans out of the lineup and move toward a younger core.

Arizona Coyotes Reassign Bokondji Imama, Milos Kelemen

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Monday, Mar. 13, 4:50 p.m.: Arizona reassigned both Imama and Kelemen to the minors today after yesterday’s overtime win against Minnesota. Both forwards played under 10 minutes and neither recorded a point, but Imama did fight Ryan Reaves early in the game.

Imama won’t be immediately eligible to play upon his return to Tucson, however. He received an automatic one-game suspension from the AHL for receiving an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of the third period of his last game. He’ll have to sit out Tucson’s game Friday against the Calgary Wranglers.

Sunday, Mar. 12, 5:31 p.m.: Forwards Bokondji Imama and Milos Kelemen are headed back up from the minors to the Arizona Coyotes, a team tweet Sunday afternoon reveals.

The reinforcements from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners come as an injury could affect the Coyotes’ lineup, per PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Winger Christian Fischer left last night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche with a lower-body injury.

Both Imama and Kelemen have seen recent paper transactions. Imama was reassigned to Tucson on March 8 after a one-game emergency recall, recording three hits and a blocked shot in 9:38 of ice time against the St. Louis Blues. Kelemen was sent down on March 4 after his second recall of the season.

Kelemen, an under-the-radar free agent signing out of Czechia last offseason, has put up some decent offensive numbers in Tucson, recording 14 goals and 27 points in 55 games. Another recall could give him the opportunity to register his first NHL point.

Imama, a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights, has 12 points in 41 appearances with Tucson this season.

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