Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

AHL

Maple Leafs Recall Alex Steeves And Wayne Simmonds

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Maple Leafs have made a pair of roster moves today as they’ve recalled wingers Alex Steeves and Wayne Simmonds, per the AHL’s Transactions log.  CapFriendly clarifies (Twitter links) that both moves have been registered as emergency recalls and thus do not count against the post-deadline four-recall limit.

Steeves is back just one day after being sent down.  The 23-year-old suited up in Tuesday’s game against New Jersey, marking his third NHL appearance of the campaign where he has been off the scoresheet.  Steeves also got into three games at the top level last season but has spent the bulk of the campaign with the Marlies where he has 17 goals and 28 assists in 54 games, good for second on the team in scoring.

Simmonds, meanwhile, was sent down last month following the Ryan O’Reilly trade but hasn’t seen any action in the minors this season.  The 34-year-old has suited up in 13 games for the Maple Leafs this season, recording just a single assist while averaging a career-low 7:25 per night.  He’s in the final season of a two-year contract in what could be the swan song of a 15-year NHL career.

Prior to the recalls, Toronto had just 11 forwards on their roster.  That permitted one of the moves to be an emergency recall while the other is likely hedging their bets in case center John Tavares isn’t able to return on Saturday against Edmonton although the captain was a full participant in practice today.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Daniil Tarasov On Emergency Basis

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that goaltender Daniil Tarasov has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

Per the team release, starting netminder Elvis Merzlikins is temporarily away from the team as he has returned to Latvia to be with his grandmother, who according to the announcement is seriously ill.

Tarasov’s return to the NHL roster will give Blue Jackets fans a preview of next season, when Tarasov will in all likelihood spend the season at the NHL level. The 23-year-old Russian netminder, who has struggled with significant injury issues over the past two years, loses his waiver eligibility next season, meaning he likely won’t be spending the year with AHL Cleveland as was the plan for this season.

In nine AHL games this season Tarasov has a .871 save percentage, although it is important to note that the Monsters’ lineup has been significantly impacted by the injury issues their parent-club has faced, meaning their talent on defense is more depleted than usual with so many players called-up.

At the NHL level, Tarasov has posted better numbers, with a .908 save percentage in 13 games. He has 17 career NHL games under his belt, and a career .914 save percentage, providing some optimism that he’ll be ready to back up Merzlikins next season. For as long as Merzlikins is away, Tarasov will share Columbus’ crease with veteran Michael Hutchinson.

Nashville Predators Reassign John Leonard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have reassigned forward John Leonard to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

The brother of top 2023 NHL Draft prospect Ryan Leonard, John has been playing in Nashville since February 2nd, when he made his season debut in a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Leonard scored his first goal of the year in that game, and finishes with just that goal and no assists in his four-game run at the NHL level.

A 2018 sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, Leonard was sent to Nashville in the Luke Kunin trade over the summer. He made a name for himself playing college hockey at UMass Amherst, scoring around a point-per-game rate each year. He potted 27 goals in his final season of college, and scored 13 points in 44 NHL games with the Sharks the following year.

This season, he’s spent most of the year in Milwaukee, where he’s been a solid contributor. He has 32 points in 52 games at the AHL level, and heads back giving the Admirals a boost as they battle for position in the AHL’s Central Division.

Washington Capitals Loan Vincent Iorio to AHL

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Washington Capitals have loaned defenseman Vincent Iorio back to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. This will place Iorio back to where he’s spent most of this season, having played 51 games at the AHL level.

Iorio, 20, is a 2021 second-round pick who has been with the Capitals for about a week. He played in his first three NHL games in that timeframe, getting between 12 and 15 minutes in each contest. He even registered his first NHL point, getting an assist in the Capitals’ 8-3 rout of the San Jose Sharks.

The six-foot-four former Brandon Wheat Kings is in his first season as a professional and has impressed with his mature play in the AHL. Iorio has registered just six penalty minutes despite playing a defense-first game, and while his 17 points in 51 games don’t jump off the page, he appears to be getting closer to NHL readiness.

Now, he’ll get to head back to Hershey for possibly the rest of their season, helping ready them for what the team hopes will be a long Calder Cup playoff run.

Calgary Flames Acquire Kristians Rubins

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Calgary Flames have acquired defenseman Kristians Rubins from the Ottawa Senators, according to a team announcement.

The move clears a second contract spot for the Senators following their trade of Jayce Hawryluk to the New Jersey Devils, perhaps indicating that the team is looking at signing some college players to fill out their organization down the stretch this season.

Rubins is a 25-year-old Latvian defenseman who is on a one-year, $750k contract that will make him eligible for restricted free agency in the summer. He has three NHL games on his resume, all coming last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Rubins has played in 42 games this season for Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, and scored six points. He was a healthy scratch for Belleville’s most recent game, and when he did factor into the lineup it was in more of a down-the-lineup capacity.

He’s a big, physical six-foot-five defenseman who should add some depth to the Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers’ blueline. The Wranglers will be looking to secure first place in the AHL’s Pacific Division, so adding Rubins to support their defense will definitely help them get there, even if Rubins remains in more of a depth role rather than becoming an everyday contributor in Calgary.

Vegas Golden Knights Recall Jiri Patera

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The goaltending pipeline in Vegas is getting awfully thin. The Golden Knights have recalled Jiri Patera under emergency conditions, after Adin Hill suffered a lower-body injury.

That leaves the Golden Knights with Jonathan Quick and Patera as their healthy tandem, with Hill, Logan Thompson, Robin Lehner, and Laurent Brossoit all injured. Michael Hutchinson was traded out at the deadline, and the only other goalie under an NHL contract in the organization is 22-year-old Isaiah Saville, who has ten professional appearances above the ECHL.

It is the Henderson Silver Knights who are in even more trouble. Behind Saville, there is nothing but 50-year-old goaltending coach Fred Brathwaite, who dressed as the backup last night after signing an AHL PTO.

Somehow, even through all of this, the Golden Knights remain in first place for the time being. The club visits the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight, before traveling to Carolina, St. Louis, and Philadelphia to finish out the road trip. Those two middle games, against the Hurricanes and Blues, are a back-to-back situation over the weekend, meaning Patera may have to make his NHL debut.

The 24-year-old netminder has a .916 save percentage in 27 games for the Silver Knights this season.

Minor Transactions: 03/08/23

at CDT | by 2 Comments

It’s a relatively thin night on the NHL schedule, with just three games on the docket. One of those games, though, features two Central Division rivals hungry to get two major points in a tight battle for playoff position. The Minnesota Wild are taking on the Winnipeg Jets in a game that holds quite a bit of significance for each club, and as fans enjoy all the action on offer tonight teams in minor and foreign leagues are completing transactions. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • With the DEL’s Bietigheim Steelers relegated to the second-division DEL2, former Colorado Avalanche netminder Sami Aittokallio is rumored to be headed elsewhere, according to Andreas Eberle of Bietigheimer Zeitung. Rival DEL club Frankfurt Lions are specifically named as a possibility, as the team needs to replace former Michigan State Spartan Jake Hildebrand, who was reported to be heading to Berlin after helping Frankfurt achieve promotion to and then survival in the DEL.
  • Former Edmonton Oilers prospect Kale Kessy, who was once traded for 478-game NHL veteran Tobias Rieder, has been traded to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles from the Hershey Bears, in exchange for future considerations. Kessy, who has registered over 1,300 penalty minutes in his pro career, will add some muscle to the Eagles’ lineup as they look to potentially make a Calder Cup playoff run.
  • The Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, have signed netminder Connor Murphy to an ATO agreement. The deal will give Murphy the chance to make his professional debut after four years spent playing college hockey. The six-foot-four goalie’s numbers weren’t incredible this season (just an .889 save percentage in 31 games) but last season they were more impressive, as he posted a .919 save percentage in 37 games.
  • The ECHL’s Indy Fuel have signed two defensemen who are at the end of their collegiate careers: Zach Vinnell and Trevor Zins. Vinnell, 24, has scored 20 points in 36 games for Bowling Green this season, and played in 35 games for Merrimack College last season. Zins, who is also 24, has played the last two seasons at the University of St. Thomas and both will help reinforce the Fuel as they prepare for a three-game weekend.
  • The ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators have also signed a player out of college, inking Division III forward Mitchell Walinski. Walinski scored 26 points in 22 games this season for Salve Regina University and joins a Gladiators squad nearing the final stretch of what has been an uneven campaign.
  • The Allen Americans have acquired 27-year-old defenseman Eric Williams, a 168-game ECHL veteran, from the Norfolk Admirals in exchange for future considerations. This trade puts the former Northeastern University Husky on the sixth ECHL club of his season. He’s scored 24 points in 45 games this season for the Admirals, and has earned nine AHL games this year, them all coming with the Laval Rocket in January. The Americans get Williams in the midst of a hot stretch, as he has three assists in his last five games.
  • The Admirals have made another move, signing Gueorgui Feduoulov from Mercyhurst College. The 24-year-old scored six goals and 12 points this season, and will get his first opportunity in a professional environment after spending four seasons playing college hockey.
  • The ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates have plucked two players from the college ranks, per the ECHL’s official transactions report: Aurora University’s Jack Jaunich and Bemidji State University captain Ross Armour. Jaunich, 24, has scored 74 points in 55 games over the past two seasons, while Armour, 25, is the cousin of Belleville Senators star Jake Lucchini and 14 goals and 22 points this season.
  • Denmark’s Herning Blue Fox have signed former OHL defenseman Christian Mieritz to a two-year contract extension. While Mieritz scored just three points in 46 games this season, he has helped Herning have a highly successful season and per the team release, the club is optimistic about his development and future in their lineup.

Nashville Predators Acquire Anthony Angello

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The Nashville Predators announced Wednesday afternoon that the team has acquired forward Anthony Angello from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations.

NHL deals after the trade deadline are obviously a rarity, but players destined for the minors under NHL contracts can still be moved prior to Friday, March 10. That’s the date of the AHL trade deadline.

It means that “future considerations” are likely assets under AHL contracts with the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s affiliate, heading to St. Louis’ affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Angello, 27, will report to Milwaukee. A 2014 fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Angello is amidst a down season with 11 points in 45 games with Springfield.

He does have 31 games of NHL experience, coming as recently as last season with Pittsburgh. Angello is ineligible to play with Nashville down the stretch run, and he would not be eligible to suit up in the unlikely event they clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

AHL Shuffle: 03/08/23

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The following players were involved in transactions between NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates.

  • Defenseman Lawrence Pilut was sent by the Buffalo Sabres to the Rochester Americans as an emergency loan. Pilut has split his season between Rochester and Buffalo, appearing in 17 games for the Sabres with a goal and an assist and suiting up for 30 games with Rochester with 19 points in 30 games.
  • Arizona Coyotes forward Bokondji Imama was an emergency send down to the Tucson Roadrunners. Imama, a veteran minor leaguer, has played one game for Arizona this season. He has played in five games over the past two seasons after four seasons playing exclusively in the AHL. He has 12 points in 39 games for Tucson this season.
  • The Washington Capitals have loaned Dylan McIlrath to the Hershey Bears of the AHL as an emergency loan. The former top-10 pick in 2010 has played in 72 NHL games with four teams, including six games for Washington this season, his first NHL action since 2019-20. He has one assist in six games for the Capitals this season.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Will Zmolek

at CDT | by 7 Comments

4:54 p.m.: CapFriendly reports Zmolek’s one-year ELC carries a cap hit of $920K, broken down across a base salary of $825K, a signing bonus of $95K, potential performance bonuses up to $30K, and a minor salary of $82.5K.

9:35 a.m.: College free agent signing season is upon us, as seasons end across the country for the unlucky programs that did not advance in their conference playoffs. Today, the Philadelphia Flyers have gotten in on the action, inking Will Zmolek to a one-year entry-level contract.

The deal will begin in 2023-24, but Zmolek is headed to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL on a tryout contract for the rest of this season.

Coming off an impressive senior season with Bemidji State, Zmolek is a 23-year-old undrafted free agent who brings a little of everything to the table. He’s big, standing 6’4″, 209 lbs, physical, has shown an improved offensive game, and was a locker room leader for the Beavers.

Nominated for this year’s Hobey Baker, Zmolek recorded 21 points in 36 games and led the club in blocked shots. He enters a Philadelphia system that once looked full of defensive prospects but has seen several fail to take the next step. With his age and experience, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Zmolek play NHL minutes next season in a limited, or part-time role.

He’ll turn 24 in April, meaning only a one-year contract was possible. Zmolek will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2024.

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