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Filip Hallander Recalled By Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could have a new face in the lineup this evening, as Filip Hallander has been recalled under emergency conditions. The young forward would be making his NHL debut should he join the lineup against the New York Rangers this evening.

Hallander’s career so far has been an interesting one. Originally drafted by the Penguins in 2018, he was part of the trade that brought Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh in 2020. Less than a year later he was on his way back to the Penguins in the pre-expansion Jared McCann trade before he had ever even played in North America.

This season, his first with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, the 21-year-old forward has ten goals and 24 points in 53 games. While those numbers don’t pop off the page, Hallander has been praised for his two-way play dating back to his draft year. His ceiling was always likely that of a third-line forward in the NHL, if he reaches that level on a full-time basis at all.

It’s Hallander’s play in the NHL, whenever his debut does happen, that will ask some interesting questions about the future. Teddy Blueger, who represents the team’s checking-line center, is signed through next season but is a pending UFA in the summer of 2023. Versatile Evan Rodrigues and trade deadline pickup Rickard Rakell are both pending UFAs this summer. Then there is the core trio of Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust, who are all set to hit the open market–or land new, expensive contracts with the Penguins–this year. All of this uncertainty means that players on entry-level deals will become extremely important. Hallander is still signed through next season on that very inexpensive ELC, making him an intriguing piece to watch down the stretch if he finds his way into the lineup.

NCAA Notes: Marlies, UMass, Transfers, Smilanic

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have made their first foray into the college hockey free agent market this year with a pair of AHL signings. The Toronto Marlies have announced that defenseman Michael Joyaux and forward Nolan Walker have been signed to AHL contracts for the 2022-23 season, as well as tryout deals for the remainder of this season. Joyaux, 25, may be an older prospect but is nevertheless coming off of his best collegiate season at Western Michigan with 32 points in 35 games, almost more than his first three years of scoring combined. As the Broncos marched to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Joyaux was one of the leaders with the second-most assists on the team, behind only standout free agent Drew Worrard and ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Ronnie Attard. Defense is not Joyaux’s greatest strength, but the Leafs have been willing to take a shot on puck-moving college defensemen in recent years. Walker, 23, leaves St. Cloud State after four productive seasons, totaling 87 points in 135 games. Though Walker never topped his freshman season, when he made the NCHC All-Rookie Team with 27 points, the play-making forward has continued to develop his all-around game with the Huskies and appears ready for the next level.

  • Two members of the 2021 National Champion Massachusetts Minutemen are ready to begin their pro careers on amateur tryouts. Forward Oliver Chau, who actually joined Quinnipiac this season as a graduate transfer, has signed with the Tuscon Roadrunners, his college team announced. While Chau was critical to UMass’ run to a title last year, he had his best season to date with the Bobcats this year, finishing third on the talented team in scoring with 33 points in 42 games. Next up for the undersized forward is the challenge of translating his game to the pros. Goaltender Matt Murray is also on the move. After a full five years at UMass during which he recorded an excellent .629 winning percentage, .916 save percentage, 2.23 GAA, and 11 shutouts in 121 games, Murray is off to Texas. The AHL Stars announced that they have inked the experienced netminder to an ATO. While Murray had previously been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins after attending development camps with the team, Murray opted not to land behind Filip Lindberg on the depth chart once again and should have more opportunity with Texas, where a contract offer seems likely.
  • The NCAA Transfer Portal is buzzing these days with numerous daily additions from the top ranks of college hockey. A few notable names have already found new homes for next season, including Chayse Primeau and Matthew Thiessen (VAN). Keith’s kid and Cayden’s brother, Primeau has been a big name and big scoring presence for Omaha the past four years. While he may have been able to draw an AHL contract this year, Primeau will instead take his talents to Notre Dame with his sights set on a breakout season and NHL contract instead. Omaha beat writer Jordan McAlpine reports that Primeau’s decision is made and he is bounf for South Bend. A consistent, hard-working forward with size and skill, Primeau has the pieces to be a difference maker for the Fighting Irish and perhaps in the pros down the road. Thiessen, a Canucks pick, hypothetically has an NHL contract waiting for him, but has failed to show much for a poor Maine team over the past three years. Statistically, Thiessen has not looked like a pro prospect thus far in his collegiate career and shouldn’t have drawn much attention on the portal. However, a thin goalie transfer market has created far more demand than supply and Thiessen’s draft pedigree has earned him a new home with a power house rather than a non-contender. The 21-year-old keeper is headed for Minnesota-Duluth, per his own announcement, and will have a good shot to be the starter with Ryan Fanti (EDM) turning pro, one 2021-22 backup graduating and the other having struggled this season. Perhaps a bounce back and renewed pro ambitions await for the Vancouver prospect.
  • The biggest transfer portal shock of the off-season arrived on Tuesday when Quinnipiac star Ty Smilanic (MTL) entered. Smilanic, 20, was a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2020 (though many considered him a first- or second-round talent) and was just recently a key piece of the Ben Chiarot deadline deal. Through two seasons at Quinnipiac, he has recorded 27 goals and 44 points in 70 games, finishing among the top scorers for a National Championship contender both years. It seemed like 2022-23 could have been a breakout campaign for Smilanic at QU too; playing behind several veteran players over the past two years who will all be gone next season, Smilanic would have had the opportunity to take over. Instead, he will look elsewhere – and will receive considerable attention – for what could be just one final NCAA season.

New Jersey Devils Issue Injury Updates; Recall Two From AHL

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The New Jersey Devils have already shut down Jack Hughes for the rest of the season, and now several other forwards could be sidelined. Yegor Sharangovich, Jimmy Vesey, and Nathan Bastian are all dealing with injuries, leading to the team recalling both Fabian Zetterlund and A.J. Greer from the AHL.

Sharangovich, 23, appears to be the closest to a return, despite leaving last night’s game after just five shifts. The young forward skated on his own ahead of practice and head coach Lindy Ruff believes it’s possible that he could be back in the lineup on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. Sharangovich engaged New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider after a big hit on Jesper Boqvist, and ended up leaving after just two minutes of ice time.

Vesey meanwhile is still getting imaging on his injured leg today, and there is no clear timetable for his return at this point. He also came together with Schneider and had to be helped off the ice by the training staff.

Bastian, who was injured in the same game as Hughes, is “doing better” according to Ruff, though the young forward is not expected to be available tomorrow. After starting the year barely playing with the Seattle Kraken, the return to New Jersey has been good for Bastian, who has ten goals in 50 games despite still playing a limited role.

As the Devils deal with a wave of injuries up front, players like Zetterlund will get a chance to impress. The 22-year-old third-round pick has seen three games at the NHL level so far this season but is still looking for his first point. He’s been outstanding with the Utica Comets, recording 52 points in 58 games, however, suggesting that he could be ready for more regular NHL minutes as soon as next season. A look down the stretch would make sense, especially given the fact that someone like Vesey–even if healthy–is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.

Snapshots: Sateri, Ho-Sang, Zucker

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The Arizona Coyotes had Harri Sateri on the ice today for the first time, after claiming him last month from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sateri, 32, is expected to make his debut tomorrow night, head coach Andrew Tourigny told reporters including Jose M. Romero of AZ Central. It will be the first NHL appearance for Sateri since 2018, when he played in nine games for the Florida Panthers, and a potential showcase for keen-eyed suitors.

Sateri is expected to try and land another NHL contract this summer, after spending the last three seasons in the KHL. Originally selected 106th overall in 2008 by the San Jose Sharks, the veteran netminder has a .923 save percentage over 260 career games in the KHL, a .905 over 198 games in the AHL, and a .911 in nine games in the NHL. If he can show well down the stretch, he’ll be an interesting name to consider this offseason.

  • Joshua Ho-Sang wasn’t able to parlay his Olympic appearance into an NHL contract this season, and he’ll have new representation when he tries again in the summer. The Toronto Marlies forward has switched agencies and is now represented by Gold Star Hockey. While he still seems to be highly regarded by hockey fans, Ho-Sang has unfortunately not been able to find much success since being drafted 28th overall in 2014 by the New York Islanders. The supremely-skilled winger has 15 goals and 28 points in 38 games with the Marlies and is another interesting name to keep an eye on this summer, if even just in a minor league depth role.
  • Jason Zucker, who looked as though he may be out for the year when he was helped off the ice recently, is actually only considered day-to-day and will travel with the Pittsburgh Penguins on their road trip. Zucker skated in a regular sweater today at practice and met with reporters afterward, explaining that he feels excited about the end of the year now that he’s been back on the ice. The 30-year-old forward has played 32 games this season, just two of those coming since December 19.

AHL Shuffle: 04/06/22

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After a couple of wild matchups yesterday between playoff teams, today’s NHL schedule is a bit more subdued with only five games on the docket. Still, that includes an all-important game for the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights, with the former essentially out of the playoff race if they fail to take home two points in regulation. Vancouver now sits nine points behind the Dallas Stars with just 12 games to play, a gap that is probably insurmountable even if they did end up winning tonight. The Golden Knights meanwhile still find themselves out of a spot but have won five straight and made it a race again, even creeping closer to a Pacific Division spot as the Los Angeles Kings scuffle toward the finish line. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Kyle Criscuolo once again, his fifth transaction in less than a week. The 29-year-old has played three games this season for Detroit and 12 in his career, spending most of his time in the minor leagues.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have assigned both Hudson Fasching and Ivan Prosvetov to the AHL, as Harri Sateri joined the team today. Prosvetov, 23, has played in 40 games for the Tucson Roadrunners this season, logging the lion’s share of the minor league work.
  • Matt Tennyson has been returned to the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators, where he can continue to help the Milwaukee Admirals in their Calder Cup pursuit. The veteran defenseman has 14 points in 46 games for Milwaukee this season.

Pacific Division

  • Yesterday, the Vancouver Canucks recalled Jack Rathbone, with Quinn Hughes absent from practice. Rathbone is up under emergency conditions, meaning he does not yet count toward the four post-deadline recalls that the Canucks are allowed.
  • Juuso Valimaki is back up with the Calgary Flames, recalled today from the minor leagues. Valimaki has played just eight games with the NHL club this season, recording two points.

This page is updated throughout the day

Viktor Lodin Assigned To AHL

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The Ottawa Senators have now officially reassigned Viktor Lodin to the Belleville Senators of the AHL, though things had been in the work for a few days. Lodin’s season in the SHL finished recently and now he will get his first taste of professional hockey in North America. Belleville head coach Trent Mann was on TSN radio yesterday to talk about his newest forward, explaining that Lodin will be making his debut by Saturday at the latest.

A fourth-round pick in 2019, Lodin has had an up-and-down development path over the last few years. After playing nearly a full season at the SHL level in 2018-19, he ended up back in the second tier in 2019-20 after struggling with Orebro HK. In 2020 he joined Timra, who had been demoted to the Allsvenskan (the Swedish equivalent of the AHL), and he spent all season there helping them win a championship and earn promotion back to the SHL.

In that 2020-21 campaign he had 40 points in 47 games, and he has come back with another strong season this year for Timra even after the promotion. With 12 goals and 27 points in 44 games, the 22-year-old Lodin is fourth on the team in scoring, trailing only three import players (including former NHL forward Ty Rattie.

Signed to a two-year entry-level contract last June, Lodin is under contract through 2022-23 and would then be a restricted free agent. Getting some games in down the stretch will only help his transition to North America full-time next season, when he is expected to play a big role for Belleville. Don’t rule out a debut at the NHL level either though, as his strong play at the highest level in Sweden has opened some eyes. Whether he can bring any of that offense to this side of the pond remains to be seen, but Lodin represents another prospect for the Senators that could be ready for action in the coming years.

Minor League Notes: Murray, Marlies, Dove-McFalls

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The Texas Stars have signed goaltender Matt Murray–no, not that Matt Murray–to an amateur tryout agreement for the rest of the season. The 24-year-old netminder recently finished his college career at UMass-Amherst, where he played five seasons for the Minutemen. In 2021-22, the former AJHL star posted a 21-12-2 record with a .917 save percentage, and holds the school records for wins and shutouts. Undrafted, Murray has generated some buzz as a possible entry-level contract candidate, but it looks like he’ll have to show what he can do at the AHL level before that happens.

Here are some more minor moves from around the AHL:

  • The Toronto Marlies have signed Michael Joyaux and Nolan Walker to AHL contracts for the 2022-23 season, stocking the system with a pair of college free agents. Joyaux, 25, has spent the last four seasons at Western Michigan and scored a career-high 32 points in 39 games this year. The undersized defenseman will have his work cut out for him at the next level, and certainly isn’t a lock to earn an NHL deal down the road. Walker, 23, meanwhile is a bit of the same story, as an undrafted, undersized forward. He is coming off his senior season at St. Cloud State, where he posted 24 points in 37 games.
  • Samuel Dove-McFalls, a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, has decided to try his hand at professional hockey after all. The 24-year-old signed a tryout agreement with the Grand Rapids Griffins, after finishing his fourth season with the University of New Brunswick, where he served as captain this year. Selected way back in 2015, Dove-McFalls’ draft rights expired in 2017 when he failed to sign with the Flyers, making him an unrestricted free agent. A former QMJHL champion, he had 20 points in 24 games for UNB this season.

AHL Shuffle: 04/05/22

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It’s a busy night in the NHL with ten games on tap, including several that could have playoff implications. The Toronto Maple Leafs try to complete the Sunshine sweep as they head to face the Florida Panthers, while the Minnesota Wild try to show why they’re ahead of the Nashville Predators in a Central Division matchup. One interesting cross-conference game will be the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins, a battle of two Stanley Cup contenders (and of two good friends in Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon). As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Parker Kelly from the AHL, giving them an extra body for their match this evening. Kelly, 22, has played in 27 games for Ottawa this season, scoring five goals.
  • Forward Kyle Criscuolo is up with the Detroit Red Wings under emergency conditions, per the team. Criscuolo already has an assist in three NHL games this season and could add to that total in the next few games if in the lineup.

Metropolitan Division

  • After securing his first win as a member of the New York Islanders, Cory Schneider has been returned to the minor leagues. The 36-year-old netminder stopped 27 of 30 shots on Sunday in his first NHL appearance since 2020. That win could very well end up being his final appearance in the NHL, depending on what happens down the stretch and when he reaches unrestricted free agency in the summer.

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • Another emergency call-up comes in the form of defenseman Jack Rathbone, who’s now up with the Vancouver Canucks. Rathbone suffered what seemed to be a serious injury with AHL Abbotsford earlier in the year, but is now healthy and could get some NHL action down the stretch. He’ll likely slot into the lineup tomorrow against Vegas as Quinn Hughes is out with a non-COVID illness.

This page is updated throughout the day

Devon Levi Returning To Northeastern

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According to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, goalie prospect Devon Levi has informed the organization that he intends to return to Northeastern University for his junior season (link). Though it had not been confirmed, the general belief had been that Levi would return to Northeastern instead of opting to turn pro and sign with Buffalo. As much as the Sabres would like to have the goaltender enter their organization now and learn the business of being a professional hockey player, the move seems to make sense for Levi, who can have another year of development at the NCAA level, another year of education at Northeastern, and another chance at a national title.

Also of note for the 20-year-old is that turning pro would not necessarily mean a regular role with the Buffalo Sabres, and a likely trip to the Rochester Americans of the AHL for at least a year. Although professional could benefit Levi, another year at Northeastern may ultimately be more appealing while still allowing him to develop.

Selected in the seventh-round by Florida in 2020, 212th overall, Levi has been a standout in college. After missing his Freshman year due to injury, Levi burst onto the scene this season as a Sophomore, boasting a .952 save-percentage and 1.54 goals-against average over 32 games. Time will tell how the young goaltender develops, but his return to Northeastern does not make him any less a part of the Sabres’ future plans.

AHL Shuffle: 04/04/22

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The NHL is rather quiet this evening with just four games, though a pair of them do have significant playoff implications. The Toronto Maple Leafs head to Tampa to take on the Lightning in a battle for the second seed in the Atlantic, while the Los Angeles Kings welcome in the Calgary Flames and try to continue their chase of the Pacific crown. The Flames sit just three points ahead of the Kings and have lost three straight, though they do have three games in hand on their pursuers. As those teams and others prepare for this evening, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have assigned Kyle Criscuolo to the AHL, after he played in just his 12th career NHL game last night. The 29-year-old forward has been excellent in his return to the Grand Rapids Griffins, joining them last season and posting 51 points in 78 games to this point. In three matches this season with Detroit, he recorded one point–his first at the NHL level.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Victor Soderstrom from the AHL, bringing up the top prospect once again now that he’s recovered from injury. Soderstrom, 21, has played in 13 NHL games this season but is still looking for his first point of the year, while he has registered 13 in 23 games with the Tucson Roadrunners.

Pacific Division

  • Bowen Byram is back up with the Colorado Avalanche and will travel on their upcoming road trip, which includes two stops in Canada. Byram, who has always should immense ability when on the ice, has struggled with head injuries during his short career and has just 39 professional games (at any level) to his name to this point.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled Adam Ruzicka and Juuso Valimaki from the AHL. The pair have joined them in Los Angeles and will be available for tonight’s game if needed. The 23-year-old Valimaki was once considered a key future piece for the Flames, though injuries and inconsistency have slowed his progress in recent years. This season, he’s played just eight games with the big club, spending most of the year with the Stockton Heat.
  • Pavel Dorofeyev has been sent back to the AHL by the Vegas Golden Knights, after playing in his second career NHL game a few days ago. The 21-year-old winger is still looking for his first point at that level, but has 41 in 53 games for the Henderson Silver Knights.

This page is updated throughout the day

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