Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Dustin Tokarski, Filip Hallander
With the Pittsburgh Penguins barely holding onto a playoff position, the last thing fans want to see are emergency recalls. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what they received today, as the Penguins announced the call-up of Dustin Tokarski and Filip Hallander from the AHL on an emergency basis.
Shelly Anderson of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports that head coach Mike Sullivan will speak with the media two hours before tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars.
Pittsburgh is coming off a massive win against the Colorado Avalanche last night, stopping a four-game losing streak that threatened the team’s playoff hopes. With a one-point lead on the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference wild card race, every game seems like a must-win for the Penguins these days.
Casey DeSmith, who is dealing with an illness, was healthy enough to serve as the backup last night, but Tokarski’s recall suggests that Tristan Jarry may have to play back-to-back games, unless there is another injury that has popped up in the hours since leaving Denver.
The minor league veteran does have a .917 save percentage in 29 appearances with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this year but posted an .897 in four games with Pittsburgh earlier. With so much importance attached to every game at this point, it would be a disappointing outcome to see Tokarski have to carry the load tonight in Dallas.
Columbus Blue Jackets Loan Cole Sillinger To AHL
The Columbus Blue Jackets are playing for the draft lottery these days, but have found an opportunity for one of their young talents. Cole Sillinger has been loaned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL to compete in a Calder Cup chase. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen explains:
This is a great opportunity for Cole to join the Monsters as they continue to push for a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Taking on additional responsibilities and playing games with playoff implications, and hopefully games in the playoffs, is hugely important to the development of a young player like Cole.
Zach Werenski was in a similar position a few years ago and the experience helped him individually and from a team perspective as it resulted in a Calder Cup championship.
This appears to have been the team’s plan for some time. At the trade deadline, the team “papered” him to the minor leagues, sending him down and recalling him on the same day. That made him eligible for the AHL playoffs, despite never actually leaving the NHL club at that point.
In fact, Sillinger has never played in the AHL at all. The 19-year-old forward stepped directly into the NHL after being selected 12th overall in 2021, and has played for the Blue Jackets ever since. While his rookie season went exceptionally well, the young center has just three goals and 11 points in 64 games this year, showing the same sophomore slump many top prospects experience.
Detroit Red Wings Recall Alex Nedeljkovic
The Detroit Red Wings have brought Alex Nedeljkovic back up from the minor leagues, recalling him under emergency conditions today. Ville Husso was absent at practice, meaning Magnus Hellberg is expected to start when the Red Wings take on the St. Louis Blues this evening.
Nedeljkovic, 27, played his way out of the NHL after exploding onto the scene a few years ago, and has been starting for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL for most of this season. The former Carolina Hurricanes prospect was given a two-year, $6MM contract in 2021 after being acquired in a trade that was generally considered a steal for the Red Wings.
Giving up a third-round pick for a starting goaltender looked great initially, but Nedeljkovic would post a .901 save percentage in 59 games with the Red Wings last season, leading to the summer acquisition of Husso. This year, in nine appearances in the NHL, Nedeljkovic has an .880 save percentage.
He cleared waivers, was assigned to the minor leagues, and appears to be headed for unrestricted free agency this summer. Whatever he can do down the stretch for Detroit will only help his case in the offseason, as he looks for another chance to play regularly in the NHL.
Jon McDonald Expected To Join Detroit Red Wings Organization
According to a report from ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Detroit Red Wings are expected to sign college free agent defenseman Jon McDonald to a contract. It’s unclear at this time whether McDonald will be signing an NHL or AHL contract, and no financial details have been reported.
The move marks a return home for the 24-year-old McDonald, who was born in Livonia, Mich., and played youth hockey in Detroit. McDonald just completed his fifth season at UMass-Lowell, recording 20 points in 35 games while serving as captain during his final campaign.
McDonald is the second captain from UMass-Lowell to sign a contract today, joining now-Edmonton Oilers prospect Carl Berglund.
A left-shot defenseman, McDonald stands at 6’0″ and 181 pounds. While he never put up any notable scoring numbers in junior hockey with the USHL’s Fargo Force, McDonald’s point totals steadily increased throughout his time in college. He enters the pro ranks as a much more well-rounded player.
Weekes had reported earlier Wednesday that interest was heating up in McDonald’s services.
Columbus Blue Jackets Reassign Daniil Tarasov
The Columbus Blue Jackets have returned netminder Daniil Tarasov to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, according to an announcement from the team.
The transaction indicates that starting netminder Elvis Merzlikins is likely ready to return to the team. Merzlikins has been away from the team for two weeks on personal leave, returning home to Latvia to be with his grandmother as she deals with an illness.
Tarasov’s most recent stint with the big club didn’t go particularly well. The 23-year-old netminder did register two wins in four appearances but posted just a .840 save percentage. It hasn’t been a great showing for Tarasov in the NHL overall this season, as he has a 4-11-1 record, a .892 save percentage, and a 3.91 goals-against average on the year. The numbers are a step back from the strong showing he had in three starts last year, posting a .937 save percentage.
His AHL numbers have been equally concerning. In nine games with Cleveland, his action limited in part due to preseason injuries and multiple recalls to Columbus, he has a .871 save percentage and 4.07 goals-against average.
Goaltenders do take longer to develop, and there’s still plenty of time left on the track for Tarasov, who was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Still, the team undoubtedly hopes for a strong showing down the stretch in Cleveland from the young netminder.
Predators Send Michael McCarron, Kevin Gravel To AHL
As Ryan McDonagh re-enters the lineup in tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile announces that the team has sent defenseman Kevin Gravel and forward Michael McCarron to their AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.
Filling into the lineup for the injury to McDonagh, Gravel managed to play in four games for the Predators, averaging about 14 minutes of action a night. Over the entire year, that makes 18 games played for Gravel, only mustering one point this season. Playing in the minor leagues for most of the year, Gravel has put up two goals and 11 assists in Milwaukee. The transaction made by the Predators today marks the fifth time this year that Gravel has been sent down to the minors, clearing waivers twice.
Much like Gravel, McCarron has been caught in a call-up carousel of late. Having returned to hockey from a stay in the NHLPA player assistance program, this will mark his second demotion in one week. Although a valuable depth option for Nashville last season, McCarron’s production in the NHL has undoubtedly dipped this season. Playing in a total of 22 games for the Predators, McCaron has one goal and one assist. He’s fared a bit better in Milwaukee, scoring six points in 13 games, a 38-point pace over an entire season.
Minor Transactions: Kesselring, Berard, Krygier, Pivonka
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
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
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
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.