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St. Louis Blues Reassign Matthew Highmore

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Feb 23: A disappointing week later and Highmore has been returned to the AHL. The 26-year-old forward played in two games, both losses, and registered two shots on net.

Feb 18: After moving forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to Toronto last night, the Blues had a pair of open roster spots to fill.  They’ve now decided who will get them as they announced the recalls of Nikita Alexandrov and Matthew Highmore from AHL Springfield.

Alexandrov is up with St. Louis for the fourth time this season.  He got into 18 games during the first three opportunities, picking up three goals and two assists, pretty good production for someone who was basically limited to exclusive fourth line duty as he’s averaging just 8:46 per game.  The 22-year-old has been much more productive with the Thunderbirds, chipping in with a dozen goals and ten helpers in 28 AHL contests.  He’s in the second season of a three-year, entry-level deal carrying a cap hit of just under $817K.

As for Highmore, he’s in his first season with St. Louis after signing a one-year, two-way deal for the NHL minimum with them last summer.  The 26-year-old hasn’t seen any NHL action in 2022-23 but has 137 appearances over parts of four seasons with Chicago and Vancouver prior to this year.  Highmore has done quite well with Springfield this season, picking up 46 points in 47 games to lead the team in scoring.  He’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Meanwhile, the Blues have also assigned Adam Gaudette to Springfield.  He was one of the players they picked up in the deal from Toronto and while he’s a bit more experienced than Highmore with 218 career appearances, he’ll stay in the minors for the time being.

Minnesota Wild Recall Dakota Mermis

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from the AHL’s Iowa Wild under emergency conditions, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

While the Wild appear to have seven healthy defensemen on the roster, The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith report that Mermis’ emergency recall comes in anticipation of injury or illness-related absences. Smith notes that an unnamed defender was banged up in last night’s win against the Los Angeles Kings and that Jonas Brodin isn’t in full health. Brodin’s missed time with a lower-body injury on two separate occasions this season.

Mermis, 29, is a versatile defenseman in his third season with the Wild organization. Stationed on taxi squad duty in his first year, 2020-21, he’s since put up eight goals and 40 assists in 105 AHL games with the Iowa Wild, maintaining his status as one of their top defenders.

He made two appearances with the Wild last season, going without a point. If he does appear in a Wild uniform on this call-up, it will be his first appearance of 2022-23.

Florida Panthers Reassign Spencer Knight, Grigori Denisenko

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The Florida Panthers announced Wednesday that the team has reassigned goalie Spencer Knight and winger Grigori Denisenko to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Alex Lyon has been recalled to replace Knight’s spot on the roster.

While some eyebrows might raise at Knight getting demoted to the minors, this is purely a cap-related transaction. With winger Anthony Duclair expected to make his season debut Friday as he returns from an Achilles tear, the Panthers need to scratch and claw for every dime of cap space possible in order to take Duclair’s $3MM cap hit off long-term injured reserve.

Reassigning Knight, Denisenko, and Chris Tierney, who Florida waived hours ago, would free up an additional $2.6MM in space to bring their projected cap hit down to roughly $85.1MM. While over the $82.5MM Upper Limit, Patric Hornqvist’s $5.3MM cap hit remains on LTIR to keep them compliant.

While Knight will surely return after the Panthers’ cap situation is resolved, it’s not a guarantee Denisenko receives an immediate call-up. The 15th overall pick in 2018 has again been limited to a fourth-line role and has three assists in 17 games with Florida this year.

Lyon has made six appearances for the Panthers in 2022-23, recording a .887 save percentage and a 3-2-1 record.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Aatu Raty, Guillaume Brisebois

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The Vancouver Canucks announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled forward Aatu Raty and defenseman Guillaume Brisebois from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, also assigning forward Phillip Di Giuseppe to Abbotsford.

This could be Canucks fans’ first look at Raty in the NHL. Raty, still just 20 years old, was the centerpiece of the trade return for captain Bo Horvat when he was dealt to the New York Islanders late last month. After a strong start with the Islanders’ farm team in Bridgeport, though, it’s been a tough adjustment for Raty in Abbotsford. He has just one assist in eight games since joining the AHL Canucks.

It’s likely best not to read too much into Raty’s offensive struggles post-trade. A mid-season, coast-to-coast move across country borders would be understandably taxing on the young Finn. He’ll now get his second chance in the NHL this season after recording two goals in 12 games with the Islanders before the trade.

Raty and Brisebois will join the Canucks in St. Louis as they wrap up a road swing through the Central Division. Brisebois, a 25-year-old defenseman, has posted a goal and five assists in 36 games with Abbotsford this season. He saw time up with Vancouver in late October 2022, recording his first NHL point in a brief three-game stint.

Di Giuseppe, who signed a one-year, two-way contract to return to the Canucks last July, has recorded two goals and an assist in nine games with Vancouver this season. The 29-year-old will look to continue his strong offensive pace in Abbotsford, where he’s combined for 25 goals and 41 assists in 75 games since 2021.

Jesper Froden Recalled From AHL

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled Jesper Froden from the Coachella Valley Firebirds, potentially giving him a chance to make his season debut against his old team. This is Froden’s first call-up since joining the Kraken last summer on a one-year, two-way deal.

The 28-year-old undrafted forward has been outstanding for the Firebirds, scoring 25 goals and 47 points in 44 games. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given how well he played for the Providence Bruins in his first year of North American professional hockey in 2021-22. That success didn’t carry over to his short stint with Boston, though, as Froden scored just a single goal in seven games.

If you want an example of hard work and determination, consider that Froden played six full seasons in the Swedish second tier before even getting a chance to play in the SHL. He would be named the SHL Rookie of the Year in 2020 after his long-awaited debut, and join the Swedish World Championship squad in 2021, scoring four points in five games. A contract with the Bruins followed, and now his chance to make an impact with Seattle.

While he is not a prospect, there must be a little excitement for the Kraken if Froden gets into the lineup. He has scored at every level so far; perhaps he can continue that trend in the NHL with a team willing to offer a fresh start to struggling offensive talents.

New York Islanders Recall Otto Koivula

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The New York Islanders have made a roster swap, sending Andy Andreoff to the AHL while recalling Otto Koivula ahead of tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Andreoff, 31, has played in three games so far this season, recording one assist in just 22 total minutes of ice time. The veteran winger has been mostly a minor league player for his decade-long professional career and has suited up just nine times with New York since joining the organization in 2021.

For the Bridgeport Islanders, though, he’s been a key player, scoring 20 goals in just 46 games this season. With Bridgeport entering a key three-in-four stretch over the next few days, he’ll be a welcome reinforcement.

Koivula, meanwhile, has played just one game for New York, the 21st of his NHL career. The 24-year-old forward has 25 points in 45 games for Bridgeport and continues to bounce up and down whenever the organization needs an extra body at the NHL level.

Calgary Flames Recall Walker Duehr; Move Michael Stone To IR

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After being seen in a walking boot recently, Calgary Flames defenseman Michael Stone has been moved to injured reserve. To fill his spot on the roster, Walker Duehr has been recalled from the minor leagues.

Stone, 32, has been a regular in the Flames lineup this season after playing just a handful of games in each of the last four seasons. With 46 appearances and ten points, he has played and scored the most since 2017-18, even if he only averages a little over 13 minutes in those games. The veteran defenseman has been rather effective in that depth role, one he now cedes to Dennis Gilbert for the time being.

Both Stone brothers are now on injured reserve, as Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone was also recently shifted there. Their next meeting, which would have been on Thursday, will have to wait.

Duehr, 25, has appeared in eight games this season for the Flames, scoring two goals. The undrafted forward has 15 goals and 26 points in 41 games with the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL, enough to earn him a little more time in the NHL. With three road games coming up this week, the Flames needed an extra body. He’ll get some nice bonus pay, even if he doesn’t get into the lineup on a regular basis.

Vegas Golden Knights Recall Michael Hutchinson

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An unfortunate theme in recent seasons for the Vegas Golden Knights has returned. As the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster reports, goalie Adin Hill is banged up after the team’s last game Saturday, and the Golden Knights have recalled Michael Hutchinson from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.

Hill played the entirety of Saturday’s win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, he didn’t practice today after taking a “bump” during the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters today.

If Hill can’t dress for tomorrow’s road tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks, Vegas will momentarily be down to their third- and fourth-string netminders. Starter Logan Thompson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury sustained over a week ago. Hutchinson would back up Laurent Brossoit, who’s also yet to play an NHL game this season after slipping behind Thompson and Hill on the team’s depth chart.

None of that considers Robin Lehner, who remains on long-term injured reserve with a hip injury and won’t play this season.

Hutchinson, 32, has played just seven games for the Silver Knights this season after signing a two-way contract with Vegas as an unrestricted free agent last summer. He also appeared in two games for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup tournament. A veteran of 137 NHL games and 209 AHL games, Hutchinson has just one win and a .897 save percentage in Henderson this year.

St. Louis Blues Activate Marco Scandella, Scott Perunovich

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The St. Louis Blues are getting two defensemen healthy for the first time this season. As announced by the team, Marco Scandella and Scott Perunovich have been activated from injured reserve, while Jake Neighbours replaces them as he lands on IR with an upper-body injury.

Scandella could make his season debut Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 32-year-old is in the third season of a four-year, $13.1MM contract but hasn’t played since undergoing hip surgery last September.

Perunovich remains one of the organization’s best prospects despite missing significant time over the past three seasons with various injuries. A talented offensive defender, Perunovich underwent surgery to repair a fractured left shoulder last October after he sustained the injury in a preseason game.

The 45th overall selection in the 2018 draft, Perunovich has been assigned to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds as he continues to adjust to game action. He’s already recorded one assist in two games on a conditioning stint.

Neighbours officially lands on injured reserve after head coach Craig Berube told reporters yesterday he’d be out long-term. Per the team, Neighbours will be reevaluated in five weeks, meaning he could return with a handful of games left in the season.

It’s been an especially long road to recovery for Scandella, who’d been skating for nearly three months before returning to full health. As he enters the twilight of his NHL career, Scandella is coming off a 14-point effort in 70 games last season.

Perunovich could see NHL action near the tail end of the campaign to prime him for a full-time role in 2023-24. However, with so little professional experience under his belt over the past few seasons, some consistency in his ice time (and routine) at the AHL level could prove beneficial.

Pittsburgh Penguins Activate Tristan Jarry

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The Pittsburgh Penguins activated starting netminder Tristan Jarry from injured reserve, the team announced Monday afternoon. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski was re-assigned to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a corresponding transaction.

Jarry is expected to start tonight when the Penguins host the New York Islanders. It will be his first start since January 22, missing the following nine games with an upper-body injury.

Pittsburgh’s been their best with Jarry in goal, and his return couldn’t come at a more important time in the season. The Penguins are surrounded by a tight pool of teams looking to secure Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference, and the team’s 4-4-2 record in their past ten games can be attributed in part to poor goaltending.

The 27-year-old Jarry has been one of the better netminders in the league this season, boasting a .921 save percentage and a 16-5-5 record. Pittsburgh is below .500 with backups Casey DeSmith and Tokarski in the net.

Tokarski returns to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he has a sparkling .920 save percentage in 21 appearances.

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