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Snapshots: Gronborg, Oligny, Meier

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It’s not often you see a team that has won back-to-back league titles change their coach, but this decision was made long ago for Tappara Tampere of the Finnish Liiga. Back in October it was reported that Rikard Gronborg would not be returning to the ZSC Lions after this season, already agreeing to a multi-year contract with Tampere.

Gronborg was introduced today, taking over just a week after the club took home the 2023 title. Interestingly enough, when the commitment was initially reported, it included the note that Gronborg’s contract contains an out clause should the NHL come calling. For years, the decorated international coach has been linked to vacant NHL positions without anything ever materializing.

  • Jimmy Oligny is your Yanick Dupré Memorial Award winner for 2022-23, named AHL Man of the Year. The award is given to a minor league player for outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. Among his many involvements, the Manitoba Moose captain worked with the Kinship and Foster Family Network to host a foster family at every Moose home game.
  • Timo Meier was “okay” today, according to New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff, as the forward continues to recover from a massive hit suffered last round. Mike Morreale of NHL.com relays that Meier is still day-to-day and that the team will know more tomorrow. Without Meier in game one of their second-round series, the Devils were dismantled by the Carolina Hurricanes and will have to try to even things up tomorrow night.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Nikita Chibrikov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Winnipeg Jets signed forward Nikita Chibrikov to a three-year, entry-level contract Monday, per a team release. Chibrikov’s contract will begin in 2023-24 and carry a cap hit of $925,000. Chibrikov has also signed a professional tryout contract with the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, and he’ll join the team as they continue their play in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Winnipeg drafted Chibrikov, 20, with the 50th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. His development path since hasn’t been smooth, failing to secure extended playing time in any league in Russia. The constant shuttling between levels has stunted Chibrikov’s offensive development, with his point production today not dissimilar to his production during his draft year.

It makes the timing of the signing significant. With Chibrikov now under Winnipeg’s control, he’ll remain in North America next season and see extended time with the Moose, allowing him to play in an organization solely focused on his development.

He played most of this past season with Spartak Moskva in the KHL, recording just two points in 31 games with a very limited role. His game revolves around speed and skill, something he’ll have more opportunity to showcase with more minutes in the AHL.

Chibrikov will be a restricted free agent in 2026.

Toronto Maple Leafs Loan Erik Källgren To AHL

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a roster move ahead of their second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers, as they have loaned goaltender Erik Källgren to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. The move comes as the Maple Leafs are nearing full health among their goaltending depth for what seems like the first time in months.

Källgren was the emergency backup on Toronto’s roster behind Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll during the team’s first-round win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s played 24 games with the Leafs over the past two seasons, recording a .892 save percentage and an 11-6-5 record, but has now been surpassed by the younger Woll in the hierarchy of Toronto goalies.

The loaning of Källgren to the Marlies is likely a sign that two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray is healthy enough to return to game action. Murray hasn’t played since April 2, sustaining a concussion in a game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Even if Murray is ready to return to play, it’s unlikely he’ll see any game action, and it’s unclear whether he’d even dress as the backup. Woll has had an impressive season at both the NHL and minor-league levels and played strong hockey down the stretch.

Källgren now returns to aid the Marlies in their playoff run, currently tied 1-1 with the Utica Comets in a best-of-five semifinal series. He posted a 10-9-2 record and a .883 save percentage in 24 games with the Marlies this season.

New Jersey Devils Assign Topias Vilén To AHL

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The New Jersey Devils made an exciting announcement regarding one of their defensive prospects today. The team has reassigned 2021 fifth-round draft pick Topias Vilén to the AHL’s Utica Comets, per the team’s affiliate.

Vilén, a 20-year-old defender from Finland, just finished his season in the Finnish Liiga with Pelicans. Vilén played a vital role in a lengthy playoff run, logging top-four minutes as his team lost in the league final.

Considered a promising two-way defenseman with strong skating ability and excellent hockey IQ, Vilén took a step forward offensively in his third full season playing with Pelicans. His 17 points in 41 games were second among the team’s defenders, and he added on four goals and five assists in 18 postseason games. He also earned a spot on Finland’s roster at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship, part of an impressive developmental season for the late-round pick.

Vilén signed his entry-level contract with the Devils last offseason, spending the year back in his home country on loan from the NHL club. Due to his age, Vilén burned the first year of his contract and has two years remaining before becoming a restricted free agent.

Expect Vilén to spend next season on North American ice, acclimating to the Devils organization and playing a role with the Comets. An NHL recall likely isn’t in the cards for another season or two, but Vilén is still well above the trajectory of an average fifth-round selection.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Brad Hunt

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04/30/23: After a short stay on the Eagles’ roster, Hunt has been recalled back to the Avalanche. According to the Athletic’s Peter Baugh, Hunt could be an option to enter head coach Jared Bednar’s lineup tonight for Game Seven against the Seattle Kraken.

04/29/23: Following their victory over Seattle on Friday to extend their first-round series, the Avalanche made a roster move, assigning defenseman Brad Hunt to Colorado of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.

The 34-year-old is no stranger to being sent to the minors this season as this is the seventh time it has happened.  In between those assignments, Hunt got into 47 games with the Avs this season, picking up four goals and six assists in limited minutes as he averaged just over 11 minutes a night.  He has been quite productive in his first season of AHL action since 2016-17, tallying seven goals and 14 helpers in just 24 contests.

While it may seem odd that a team who was missing a defenseman (Josh Manson) due to injury last night would then turn around and send a blueliner down, this was done at least in part for waiver-related purposes.

Hunt cleared waivers back on April 1st, resetting his clock.  Players can’t spend more than 30 days cumulative on an NHL roster without needing to pass through waivers again and days in the playoffs do count as it is part of their playing season.  Accordingly, Colorado is sending Hunt down now to keep him eligible to play with the Eagles for their playoffs run, rather than running the risk of losing him if they had to waive him to send him down after the Avalanche get eliminated, an outcome that could come as soon as Sunday if they aren’t able to win in the series-deciding game against the Kraken.

Predators Assign Jack Matier To AHL

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After the Milwaukee Admirals, AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators took a convincing Game One victory over the Manitoba Moose on Friday night, it appears they will receive some exciting reinforcements on defense. The Predators have announced they have assigned defenseman Jack Matier to the Admirals, shortly after he closed out his season with Ottawa 67’s on Monday.

Originally drafted by the Predators at 124th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Matier was officially rostered on the 67’s for four seasons but only ended up playing in three due to the canceled season in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Aside from the OHL, Matier also played internationally, winning a gold medal with Team Canada during the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

In his three seasons in Ottawa, Matier had some serious developmental progression throughout his career. Scoring nine points in 56 games his rookie season, this year, he finished with 13 goals and 36 assists in 58 games for the 67’s, also chipping in six points in 11 playoff games.

In their pursuit of the Calder Cup, the Admirals already sport some above-average players on the back end. It is hard to imagine defenseman Jordan Gross, Kevin Gravel, or Marc Del Gaizo coming out of the lineup in their semifinal matchup, but there is some potential for Matier to gain some important playoff minutes in a limited fashion for the Admirals down the stretch.

Jets Assign Two Players To AHL

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While Winnipeg’s season came to an end on Thursday, a pair of players that were up with the Jets will see their campaign continue a little while longer.  The team announced (Twitter link) that goaltenders Oskari Salminen and Arvid Holm were returned to Manitoba of the AHL.

Salminen is in the first year of an entry-level deal signed last May.  The 23-year-old was recalled to Winnipeg at the beginning of the playoffs but didn’t see any game action while up with the big club.  Salminen had a decent first season in North America, posting a 3.06 GAA along with a .896 SV% in 39 games, leading the Moose in appearances by a goaltender.

As for Holm, the pending RFA served as the backup for the Jets at the end of their series against Vegas after being brought up last weekend.  The 24-year-old was the better of the two netminders in the minors this season, posting a 2.67 GAA and a .911 SV% in 35 appearances, a strong improvement from his rookie campaign in 2021-22.

The assignments are a welcome one for Manitoba with their best-of-five second-round series getting underway yesterday.  Having their regular goalie tandem intact instead of emergency options can only help their chances of advancing this postseason.

Vasily Ponomarev Will Travel With Hurricanes

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The Carolina Hurricanes could not seal the deal on home ice in game five and will have to travel to face the New York Islanders tomorrow night. Unfortunately, one player won’t be making the trip.

Jack Drury will not travel with the Hurricanes after suffering an injury in game four. Instead, team reporter Walt Ruff tweets that Vasily Ponomarev will be traveling as the extra forward.

Ponomarev, 21, was a second-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2020 and has yet to make his NHL debut. In his first full season of AHL action, he put up 24 goals and 46 points in 64 games for the Chicago Wolves.

While he isn’t expected to enter the lineup, just being the next man up shows how much the Hurricanes’ depth has been tested. Teuvo Teravainan, Andrei Svechnikov, Max Pacioretty, and Ondrej Kase would likely be in the lineup if healthy, but the group must find a way to win without them.

Ruff adds that Frederik Andersen is a possibility for tomorrow’s game, after missing the first several with injury. The veteran netminder hasn’t played since April 13.

Boston Bruins Recall Kyle Keyser

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The Boston Bruins have recalled goaltender Kyle Keyser from the AHL’s Providence Bruins, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Keyser will serve as the team’s third goalie for tonight’s Game 5 against the Florida Panthers.

The 24-year-old Keyser had a solid regular season with Providence in a backup role, posting a 13-6-2 record with a 2.79 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 24 games. He also played two games with the Bruins’ ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners.

While he doesn’t have any NHL experience yet, this is not Keyser’s first recall to the NHL roster. After Boston signed Keyser as an undrafted free agent in October 2017, Keyser later spent time on Boston’s taxi squad during the 2021-22 season.

With the Providence Bruins starting their AHL playoff run soon, the team has opted to swap Keyser and Brandon Bussi on the roster. The move gives the opportunity for Bussi, the starter for most of the season in Providence, to reclaim that role in the playoffs. Keyser will likely stay on Boston’s roster as the third goalie unless injuries strike, necessitating Bussi’s recall.

After signing a one-year extension last summer, Keyser will once again be a restricted free agent on July 1.

Dallas Stars Loan Riley Tufte To AHL

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The Dallas Stars returned forward Riley Tufte to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, the team said in a release today.

Dallas summoned Tufte from the minors following Joe Pavelski’s injury in Game 1, giving him some time on the NHL roster during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t insert Tufte into the lineup over the course of four games, however. With Pavelski’s health improving, Dallas has opted to return Tufte to the minors.

The move comes at a natural time for the Stars organization as well. With the Texas Stars finishing high enough in the Central Division to earn a bye past the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the AHL Stars begin their playoff run on Friday against the Rockford IceHogs. Tufte will be an important middle-six presence for Texas in the playoffs, contributing 35 points in 63 games this season and finishing second among Texas forwards with a +23 rating.

Time is ticking away on the NHL future for the 25-year-old Minnesota native, especially given his first-round billing, but he does play a bruising, power-forward game that translates well enough to Dallas’ bottom six in call-up situations. If Dallas’ season lasts longer than their affiliate, expect Tufte to once again be recalled as part of a complement of Black Aces.

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