Matej Blumel Returned To AHL
After playing just seven shifts in a game last night, Matej Blumel is on his way back to the minor leagues. The Dallas Stars have returned the young forward to the Texas Stars, who play three times in the next four days.
Blumel, 22, has suited up six times for Dallas this season but saw his ice time drop to just 4:28 last night, resulting in a blank scoresheet. He failed to record a hit, shot, or block, let alone any points in the shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
While the team could call him back up quickly – that has been the strategy so far, with Blumel bouncing back and forth every few days – it does seem like he has been worked out of the regular rotation. If that’s the case, Blumel might be better off playing more minutes in the AHL for the time being.
Morgan Rielly Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Toronto Maple Leafs are without their top three defensemen now, after Morgan Rielly exited last night with a knee injury. Rielly has been quickly moved to long-term injured reserve, with Darren Dreger of TSN tweeting that there are “rumblings” of a grade 1 or 2 MCL injury. That would come with a four to six-week recovery, according to Dreger.
In his place, the team has recalled Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell from the AHL.
At a very minimum, the veteran defenseman will miss 10 games and 24 days with his LTIR placement. Given he is expected back this season, the cap flexibility awarded with this move is temporary. The Maple Leafs could not for instance replace Rielly’s cap hit with an external option, as they’ll need it to activate him again down the road.
With Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie out all at the same time – the latter was on the ice before practice today testing out his oblique injury – the Maple Leafs are in a tough spot. The team’s most reliable defender becomes 39-year-old Mark Giordano, with some mix of Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, and Jordie Benn behind him.
Mete obviously has plenty of NHL experience as well, but Hollowell would be making his debut should he get into the lineup.
With that in mind, there will be plenty of speculation surrounding the Maple Leafs in the next few weeks. The team had already been linked to several defensemen around the league, and if Muzzin is out for the rest of the season, as expected, they do have a bit of cap room to work with.
New Jersey Devils Send Holtz, Bahl To AHL
In the midst of a 13-game winning streak, the New Jersey Devils aren’t about to change the lineup. So young players that are unable to get any action will need to play somewhere. Today, Alexander Holtz and Kevin Bahl have both been loaned back to the Utica Comets of the AHL.
Holtz, 20, was the seventh overall pick in 2020 and has shown flashes of offensive brilliance in his limited NHL experience. It has been limited though, with the young forward only making it into four games this season and 13 overall.
Last year, Holtz was a dominant force for the Comets, scoring 26 goals and 51 points in 52 games. He was obviously going to outgrow the minor leagues but with an inconsistent NHL performance, found himself on the outside looking in as things started to go right in New Jersey. While he may already be better than the vast majority of AHL players, he needs to play somewhere.
Bahl, meanwhile, brings a rather similar story. The hulking 6’6″ defender was beating up on AHL competition last season, and ended up seeing 17 games with the Devils. This year, after New Jersey made several additions to the blue line, he’s been limited to just three. It doesn’t do the 22-year-old much use sitting in the press box every night, even if there is some value in practicing with the big club.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see one or both back soon, but this will allow them to get back in the swing of things and shake off any rust that may have accumulated.
Colorado Avalanche Suspend Danila Zhuravlyov, Returns To Russia
Colorado Avalanche defense prospect Danila Zhuravlyov has been suspended by the team and will return home to Russia, as announced today. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports the suspension is not related to any on-ice or off-ice incident, but rather comes as a result of his returning to Russia for “personal and family-related reasons.”
There had been rumors swirling of Zhuravlyov potentially returning to his home country for the past month, mainly from Russian outlets. Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express reported last week that Zhuravlyov’s former KHL club, Ak Bars Kazan, was aiming to have the 22-year-old return to the club.
A 2018 fifth-round selection of the Avalanche, Zhuravlyov made his North American debut this season and registered an assist in 14 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He demonstrated solid defensive upside in the past handful of seasons with Kazan.
Zhuravlyov’s entry-level contract runs through the 2023-24 season. If it becomes clear that Zhuravlyov will not return to the Avalanche organization, a mutual termination is entirely possible.
Philadelphia Flyers Re-Assign Egor Zamula
The Philadelphia Flyers can’t just have Egor Zamula sitting in the press box all season, so they’ve loaned him back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Over the weekend, head coach John Tortorella explained that it’s been tough for the young defenseman because he isn’t getting into the lineup and the team doesn’t have much practice time. In his place, the Flyers have recalled Tanner Laczynski once again.
Zamula, 22, is already way ahead of most undrafted defensemen in terms of development but given his upside, it’s important to keep him playing as much as possible. The last time he suited up for Philadelphia was November 5, and even then he played just over nine minutes of ice time. Through nine appearances this season, he has two points – the first two of his young career.
Signed out of the WHL in 2018, the big Russian defenseman quickly stormed his way to the NHL, making his debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s played 21 games overall, but still isn’t trusted to be one of the team’s regular six just yet. The Phantoms will certainly take him back with open arms, though, as he was outstanding for them last year with 29 points in 58 games.
In a platform year, with his entry-level contract expiring at the end of the season, a lack of NHL playing time will actually make Zamula cheaper for the Flyers to sign next summer. That said, if the team suffers any more injuries on defense, he’ll likely be one of the first call-ups.
Shane Wright Assigned To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Seattle Kraken have announced that forward Shane Wright has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, on a conditioning loan. Yesterday, we covered that this move might be coming, and now it’s been made official.
Wright, 18, has been a healthy scratch for five straight Kraken games, which opened up the possibility of this move. Per the NHL-CHL agreement, Wright cannot be outright assigned to the AHL. For prospects like him who were developed in the CHL, the choice is typically between sending the prospect back to the CHL for another season or keeping them in the NHL.
With Wright, those restrictions have placed the Kraken in a bind. The Kraken did not believe simply sending Wright back to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs would be the best option for his development, and opted to keep him on their NHL roster. But with the Kraken off to a hot start, Wright struggled to earn coach Dave Hakstol’s trust and has been sheltered in a highly limited role in the games he’s played in. 
Unable to assign him to the AHL outright, the Kraken have elected this highly unorthodox strategy for Wright. He’ll be able to spend up to two weeks in Coachella Valley, a period that will likely lead into Wright being sent to Team Canada’s World Junior Championship camp.
That tournament ends in early January, and at that point, the Kraken will be faced with another choice.
They could elect to put him back on the NHL roster with the hope that he’ll be in a better position to contribute, or he can be sent back to the OHL. Since he has not yet skated in nine NHL games, the Kraken won’t have burned a year off of his entry-level deal.
Perhaps the most important factor determining if Wright heads back to the OHL after the World Juniors is what team holds his rights. Kingston hasn’t been great this season, and they currently stand in the middle of the pack in the OHL Eastern Conference standings.
It’s possible that Wright’s OHL rights are traded early in the new year, which could enhance the likelihood that GM Ron Francis and the Kraken elect the OHL route for the rest of the season.
Either way, the most important aspect of this news is that a clear, concrete plan is starting to come together regarding Wright’s developmental future. Given how chaotic his early tenure in Seattle felt for many fans, this is most definitely a positive development for everyone invested in the success of the Kraken’s top prospect.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 11/20/22
It’s a busy day around the sports world, including the beginning of the FIFA World Cup, but for the NHL, it’s a rather quiet Sunday with just two games on the docket. The Columbus Blue Jackets will play host to the Florida Panthers in one game, while the Chicago Blackhawks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. The latter of those two isn’t just a matchup of two of the best teams of the 2010’s, but is also Marian Hossa‘s jersey retirement, which will get underway earlier in the afternoon. Though Hossa played for a few teams in his Hall of Fame career, he’ll have a chance to see his number raised in front of two of his former teams in that of Chicago and Pittsburgh. Hossa played just 32 total games as a Penguin, but were they special, as the winger recorded 26 points in 20 playoff games on a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, ultimately losing to his future team, the Detroit Red Wings, who would fall to Pittsburgh in the Finals the very next year.
As Chicago pays homage to one of their all-time greats and the games get underway, we’ll keep track of some of the smaller transactions right here.
- Yesterday, after getting Drew Helleson back from the Anaheim Ducks in the wake of Kevin Shattenkirk being activated off IR, the San Diego Gulls of the AHL swapped a few players with ECHL affiliate, the Tulsa Oilers. The Gulls recalled forward Evan Weinger and goaltender Daniel Mannella and assigned forward Logan Nijhoff to Tulsa. Weinger, 25, has 11 points in nine games to start the season with Tulsa, but zero points in one game with San Diego. He had spent a majority of the previous four seasons playing with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. The 27-year-old Mannella has struggled through five games with Tulsa to start this season, but was dominant in 51 games in 2021-22. Nijhoff, 21, spent parts of six seasons with the Regina Pats before signing with San Diego as an undrafted free agent last year. Through nine games this season, eight with San Diego and one with Tulsa, Nijhoff has yet to record a point.
- Goaltender Remi Poirier has been reassigned from the AHL’s Texas Stars to the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, their affiliate. Poirier, 21, has been solid through four games this season, three with Idaho and one with Texas. The goaltender was a sixth-round pick of the Dallas Stars back in 2020. Prior to turning pro, he had an impressive four year stint in net with the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL.
This post will be kept updated throughout the day.
Washington Capitals Loan Connor McMichael To AHL
The Washington Capitals announced they have loaned young forward Connor McMichael to the Hershey Bears, their AHL affiliate. No corresponding move was made. Of note, however, is that T..J. Oshie, who is currently on IR with a lower-body injury, was seen warming up at Capitals practice this morning in a regular jersey, as opposed to the non-contact jersey he had been wearing, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell suggests that not only Oshie, but also defenseman Dmitry Orlov could be ready for a return to action. Should both activated, the Capitals would have to send another player down. Washington next plays on Wednesday night at home against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The choice to loan McMichael to Hershey, especially if it is in fact to make room for Oshie, does make good sense. For one, McMichael, unlike many of his Capitals teammates, is exempt from waivers. On top of that, the forward hasn’t played much this season despite being healthy, getting into just six of the team’s 20 games to date. Having been considered one of Washington’s top prospects since they drafted him 25th overall in 2019, McMichael hasn’t been able to truly take the next step in his development as an NHLer, recording just 18 points in 75 career games.
Sending McMichael down today also makes sense for Washington with Hershey set to take on the Hartford Wolf Pack this afternoon at home. Although the Ontario native has already shown he can handle AHL hockey, putting up 27 points in 33 games in his only appearance back in 2020-21, the trip back to Hershey may simply be an opportunity for McMichael to skate in every game and receive important minutes in the process, something he had not been getting with Washington, as the NHL club looks to dig out of an early hole in the standings.
Columbus Blue Jackets Place Elvis Merzlikins On IR
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Sunday morning that they have placed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on IR. In a corresponding move, the team has also recalled winger Trey Fix-Wolansky from the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Merzlikins suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The team had already recalled goaltender Daniil Tarasov on an emergency basis with the news that Merzlikins was expected to be out at least 1-2 weeks. Now with the goaltender on IR, the team could recall a forward as they deal with a rash of injuries.
Merzlikins had been off to a rough start to this season, recording a 4.74 goals-against average and .864 save-percentage in nine games. The injury clearly isn’t good news per se, however a break to rest, recuperate, and gather his thoughts might be helpful to Merzlikins nonetheless. As a replacement, Tarasov really hasn’t been much better this season with a 3.57 goals-against average and .893 save-percentage, but the organization does have high hopes overall for the 23-year-old.
In Fix-Wolansky, 23, the Blue Jackets will find quality depth and someone who has been, in a word, sensational with Cleveland this season, notching 10 goals to go with 12 assists in a mere 14 games. Yes, the NHL does get tougher and the winger has just six games of experience at the top level, all last year, but given the Blue Jackets’ struggles to start this season and their recent injuries, giving Fix-Wolansky a chance in the lineup might be on the horizon.
Evening Notes: Wright, Okposo, Konecny, Kochetkov
It hasn’t been the start to his career that many thought it would be for Shane Wright. At times thought to be the consensus number one overall pick in the 2022 draft, Wright slipped to number four, selected by the Seattle Kraken. Given Seattle’s continued push to build and add more veteran scoring to the lineup and the state of Wright’s development, a return to the OHL seemed possible, if not likely, at the start of this season. Instead, the Kraken elected to keep Wright around. That decision wasn’t what has raised many eyebrows though, instead Seattle’s choice to scratch Wright in a majority of their games and give him little ice time when they have played him, has drawn some confusion from around the league.
Tonight on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek attempted to shed light on what Seattle may be planning for and what fans might be able to expect going forward. As Marek explains, the team needs to make Wright a healthy scratch five games in a row in order to be able to send him on a 14-day conditioning stint in the AHL (much like the Los Angeles Kings and Brandt Clarke are doing right now). The team tried to do this earlier in the season, but got cut off after four games due to a Jared McCann injury and needed to reset the clock, Marek believes. Tonight would mark Wright’s fifth game in a row scratched after the reset, which could allow for the forward to be sent on a conditioning stint tomorrow with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle’s AHL affiliate, where he could play in five AHL games before being recalled on December 4th. After that, Seattle has just one game before camp opens up for Team Canada for the World Junior Championships, where Seattle could opt to send Wright. This plan isn’t set in stone or even confirmed by Seattle, but is interesting logic, as Marek suggests.
- Also from tonight’s 32 Thoughts, Marek touches on Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo, who is in the final year of a seven-year, $42MM contract he signed during the 2016 offseason. When the team named him captain just before the start of the season, both sides appeared interested in continuing their relationship with one another. Even if true, Marek says that neither side is currently in a hurry to get an extension done. That doesn’t necessarily mean a new deal to keep Okposo in Buffalo won’t happen, but could point to both sides wanting to avoid distraction, especially as the team struggles, losing their eighth game in a row tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, or to simply give both sides more clarity on Okposo’s specific value. Once a star in the NHL, Okposo’s production dropped off significantly over the life of this contract, but a recent bounce-back has breathed new life into Okposo’s career.
- Marek also discussed the upper-body injury to Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. It’s believed Konecny suffered the injury Thursday and was ruled out of tonight’s game. Losing their points leader, even for one game, was bad enough for the Flyers, but now according to Marek, Konecny is expected to miss a couple of weeks, if not longer. The Flyers, who have outperformed expectations this season, have done so in large part thanks to Konecny’s 19 points in 17 games.
- Per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has switched agents. The netminder will now be represented by agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Milstein manages a number of high-profile NHLers, but is perhaps best known for representing a large portion of the NHL’s Russian players, which would now include the exciting Hurricanes prospect. The 23-year-old has played in just five NHL games in his career, nine counting the playoffs, but is in the final year of his entry-level contract.