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Philippe Myers Loaned To Toronto Marlies

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Alex Biega to the Nashville Predators on deadline day, the return was listed as future considerations. It seems now that those considerations may have revolved around Philippe Myers, the big defenseman who cleared waivers over the weekend.

Myers has been loaned from the Nashville Predators to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, where he will apparently continue his season instead of joining the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Predators.

The 25-year-old Myers, who once looked like he would be a long-term pillar in the Philadelphia Flyers defense corps, was traded to the Predators as a major part of the deal that sent Ryan Ellis out of town. His time in Nashville hasn’t gone smoothly though, registering just four points in 27 games while seeing his playing time trend endlessly downward. While he led of his season with 21 minutes against the Seattle Kraken in October, Myers was averaging just over 12 minutes by the end of his run earlier this month. After clearing waivers, it is not clear where exactly his future lies.

With a back-loaded contract that carries a $2.55MM cap hit through next season, Myers actually is an interesting buyout candidate for the Predators. Because of his age, the team would only need to cover one-third of the remaining salary, and it would actually result in a $616,666 cap bonus in 2022-23, before a $633,334 penalty in 2023-24. That is to say, the Predators could clear his entire hit off the books for next season and even create a little bit extra room, if they were to, for instance, be trying to fit in an expensive extension for a goal-scoring winger.

At any rate, it’s unclear how long his stay in Toronto will be, but the Marlies have for now added a player that was once a dominant presence at the AHL level. In 2018-19, before he burst onto the NHL scene, the undrafted Myers had 33 points in 53 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms while being a physical defensive force in his own end.

AHL Shuffle: 03/23/22

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One thing to remember about the post-deadline NHL season is that teams no longer have to limit their roster to 23 players. If they have the cap space to recall more, they can do so without issue. With that in mind, there could be some additional minor league shuffling as teams bring along extra bodies on road trips or fill in for minor injuries. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here.

Atlantic Division

  • Justin Barron has been recalled by the Montreal Canadiens, though head coach Martin St. Louis isn’t sure yet if he’ll play right away. The 20-year-old defenseman was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Artturi Lehkonen deal and has played just two games at the NHL level so far in his young career.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Jan Jenik from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Jenik, 21, was the 65th overall pick at the 2018 draft and has 37 points in 44 AHL games this year. The Czech winger has also gotten into three NHL games in 2021-2022 and has yet to register a point.

Pacific Division

  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Lane Pederson from the AHL, as they continue their Canadian road trip through Edmonton. Timo Meier left last night’s game with an apparent leg injury, though Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News tweets that the team is still hopeful he plays tomorrow.
  • Speaking of Edmonton, the Oilers have loaned Brad Malone back to the AHL, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins prepares to return to action. Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t played since February, but had 37 points in his first 45 games this season and will provide a huge boost if he’s able to play tomorrow.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled two young players from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The first is goaltender Lukas Dostal, 21, who will back up John Gibson tonight as Anthony Stolarz is out with an illness. Dostal has gotten into 29 games this season and boasts a sterling .921 save percentage. He has also played in three NHL games and has a similarly impressive .929 in that smaller sample size as well. After Dostal, the team is also calling up Brendan Guhle. Guhle, 24, originally came to Anaheim in the team’s trade of Brandon Montour to Buffalo in 2019, and he has played in five NHL games this season with zero points.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Linus Karlsson Hoping To Sign With Vancouver Canucks

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It was another impressive performance from Linus Karlsson last night, who scored his 25th and 26th goals of the season for Skelleftea AIK, breaking the SHL’s rookie goal-scoring record in the process. The 22-year-old forward could soon follow the footsteps of the player who previously held that record, as he told Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV that he hopes to sign with the Vancouver Canucks following the SHL season.

Elias Pettersson was the previous record holder, having scored 24 during the 2017-18 season, his only campaign in the SHL. He followed it up with an incredible ten-goal performance in the playoffs, something Karlsson will have to try to replicate with his powerhouse club. Skelleftea AIK is in first place in the SHL after last night, with just one match to come before the playoffs begin.

Karlsson, 22, was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the third round of the 2018 draft, but was flipped to Vancouver in a trade for Jonathan Dahlen in 2019. Importantly, Karlsson could actually become an unrestricted free agent on June 1 if the team can’t work out an entry-level contract, something that the rest of the league is likely keeping an eye on.

The young forward has dominated at every level as he moves through the Swedish hockey system, and now has 45 points in 51 games as a rookie in the SHL. While he will turn 23 in November, much older than Pettersson was when he was setting the records, he is still an important piece for Canucks’ general manager Patrik Allvin to get under contract, even just to see how he will fare in North America.

Minor Transactions: 03/22/22

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After the rush and excitement of trade deadline day blows over, it’s always good to be reminded that hockey transactions do go on. Sure, there will be nothing close to matching the excitement of the deadline until later this summer with the NHL Draft and opening of free agency, but in the meantime there will still be signings involving undrafted college and junior players, prospects receiving entry-level deals, and perhaps some early European additions, not to mention the potential for some minor trades among non-playoff teams getting their offseason started early. There also continue to be roster operations ongoing outside the NHL, with the AHL and European leagues dealing with different rules and timelines. For those “minor” moves, make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action:

  • It’s hard to keep all of the NHL trades straight on deadline day, nevertheless noticing an AHL swap. It seems that future considerations had a busy day across both leagues, as that was the return for the Belleville Senators in a deal that saw veteran forward Tyrell Goulbourne head to the Stockton Heat. The team announced that they had acquired the 28-year-old forward, as they look to bolster their lineup for the Calder Cup playoffs. Goulbourne, a former member of the Philadelphia Flyers, has never possessed much offensive ability and is scoreless through nine AHL games this season, but continues to provide value with his defensive ability. Though not confirmed by any of the teams involved at either level, Goulbourne is believed to be future considerations himself, as the return of the NHL deal that saw goaltender Michael McNiven head to Ottawa.
  • Arizona State standout Colin Theisen isn’t going very far for his first pro experience. The AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners have signed the Sun Devils captain, his now-alma mater announced. A fifth year transfer from Notre Dame, Theisen enjoyed a breakout season to end his collegiate career, recording 19 goals and 42 points in 35 games with ASU. This was far superior than anything he did with the Fighting Irish; in fact, his goals and points totals were better than his two best marks at Notre Dame combined. Though hardly a young prospect at 24, Theisen did enough this year to earn a look in the pros and the nearby Roadrunners were happy to give him a shot. Perhaps the Coyotes will be next if he can prove his game translates to the next level.
  • Though far less common in Europe, the end of the playing season marks the beginning of buyout season and one Swiss club is making big cuts. The National League’s SC Bern has bought out a pair of former NHL forwards in Cory Conacher and Kaspars Daugavins as they begin a “remodel”. Conacher and Daugavins were both under contract through 2022-23 and seemingly seemed safe to stick around. Both were among the top six scorers for Bern, as was Vincent Praplan, a player who had already been bought out (with three year remaining on his deal). Though each is on the wrong side of 30, Bern is undoubtedly a worse team without Conacher and Daugavins who will attract interest from a multitude of other European clubs.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Curtis Douglas

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One of the things Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was asked about yesterday was whether he considered signing some of his standout AHL players to NHL contracts before the deadline, which would have made them eligible for the playoffs. While he explained that they needed to leave slots open for some college signings, the team has now worked out a future deal with one of those minor league players.

Curtis Douglas has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs that will begin in the 2022-23 season. Douglas is currently playing for the Toronto Marlies on an AHL contract.

Standing 6’8″, the 22-year-old Douglas is an intriguing forward prospect. Originally selected by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, he ended up an unrestricted free agent when the two sides failed to work out a contract. After spending part of last season playing for the Linz Steel Wings in Austria, he joined the Belleville Senators and played 11 games in the AHL.

This season, with the Marlies, he has eight goals and 27 points in 49 games, good enough to earn himself an entry-level deal. Douglas only turned 22 a few months ago and is still very raw, but at least is showing signs that he is starting to harness his size effectively.

Because it is a future deal, it does not take up one of the Maple Leafs’ remaining contract slots, which could potentially go to college standouts–and U.S. Olympians–Matthew Knies and Nick Abruzzese in the coming weeks.

AHL Shuffle: 03/22/22

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Now that the trade deadline is over, and teams are relatively fixed for the rest of the season–save for some college additions as NCAA seasons wrap up–the only way to really change the makeup of your roster is minor league moves. As always, we’ll continue to track that minor shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

  • Taro Hirose has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, after going down yesterday to make sure he was eligible for the AHL playoffs. The 25-year-old has been outstanding for the Grand Rapids Griffins and does have three points in four games for the Red Wings.

Metropolitan Division

  • After sending him down yesterday, Radim Zohorna is back with the Pittsburgh Penguins today. Unfortunately, someone took his jersey number in the meantime. Rickard Rakell will now wear No. 67 for the Penguins, with Zohorna switching to No. 63.

Central Division

  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Nathan Walker under emergency conditions, meaning, for now, he’ll continue his excellent season in the NHL. Walker has 44 points in 47 minor league games, but has also scored four goals and five points in nine appearances with the Blues. Quite the campaign for the 28-year-old forward.
  • Ville Heinola is back with the Winnipeg Jets, recalled under emergency conditions once again. The young defenseman has been bounced up and down all season, though he is still expected to only serve as insurance in case one of the team’s defenders isn’t able to go tonight.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Cam Dineen, who popped down to the AHL just to become eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. Dineen played two games for the Coyotes over the weekend, taking his career total to 16 in this his rookie season.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Hayden Hodgson Signs NHL Contract

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Lost in the shuffle yesterday was an NHL contract, according to CapFriendly, for Hayden Hodgson with the Philadelphia Flyers, rewarding him for his strong play in the AHL this season and making him eligible for the stretch run. The deal is for the rest of this season and will carry a cap hit of $750K.

Hodgson, 26, has 18 goals and 29 points in 44 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, playing on an AHL contract after spending parts of the last five years in the ECHL. The 6’2″ undrafted forward had some other NHL teams “sniffing around” on him according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, but he ended up signing with the organization he was already a part of. He will stay with Lehigh Valley for now.

An NHL contract means that Hodgson could get a chance to play with the Flyers down the stretch, but it also means that he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. He will be eligible for arbitration, though it seems more likely that the two sides would agree on another two-way contract ahead of time, if the team wants to keep him for next season.

Winnipeg Jets Extend Kristian Reichel

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The Winnipeg Jets capped off a surprisingly busy trade deadline day by signing forward Kristian Reichel to an extension this evening. The contract is a two-year, two-way deal that carries a $775K AAV. In the first year of the deal, 2022-23, Reichel will earn $750K at the NHL level, along with a $25K signing bonus, and the deal being worth $150K at the minor league level. In the second year, Reichel will earn $775K in the NHL and $175K in the minors. Reichel is currently in his final year of a two-year entry-level contract that he signed with the Jets in June of 2020.

Reichel’s extension comes in the midst of a difficult season for the 23-year-old, who has been called up and sent down several times, and been transferred on and off of Winnipeg’s taxi squad for a majority of the season. After all this, Reichel was placed on injured reserve on February 23rd and activated today. Reichel has played in both the NHL and AHL this season, putting up two points in 12 games for the Jets and 12 points in 26 games with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

The forward first played in North America with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL in 2017-18, where he excelled with 34 goals and 23 assists in 63 games. Reichel would turn professional the following season and spend parts of the next four seasons with the Moose before making his NHL debut this season with the Jets.

Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Alexei Melnichuk

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired goalie Alexei Melnichuk from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Antoine Morand, per The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka.

In Melnichuk, Tampa receives a goalie who had strong NHL upside at one point but seems to have bottomed out in North America. The Sharks signed him as an undrafted free agent after a strong 2019-20 season in Russia, where he had a .930 save percentage in 16 KHL games with SKA St. Petersburg. Since coming to the Sharks organization, though, he’s failed to post a save percentage above .900 at any level. He has an .867 in 31 AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda this year.

Morand has now been traded in consecutive seasons. Originally a Ducks prospect, he was dealt to Tampa Bay last season. In 44 games with the Syracuse Crunch this season, though, he had just ten points.

Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets Complete Minor Trade

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The Los Angeles Kings have acquired Nelson Nogier from the Winnipeg Jets, sending Markus Phillips back the other way. Both players are currently playing in the minor leagues and will likely report to their new respective AHL affiliates. Additionally, the Kings have recalled Quinton Byfield, Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, and Jordan Spence, after they were sent down on paper to become eligible for the AHL playoffs.

The swap brings a slightly older defenseman to the Ontario Reign in Nogier, but also one with considerably more experience. The 25-year-old has played 11 games in the NHL and is in his sixth full season of professional hockey, after being drafted 101st overall in 2014. Through 25 games with the Manitoba Moose this season he has six points, which is actually not all that far off his AHL career-high of 13. On an expiring contract, he’ll be a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, making this essentially a deadline rental for the Reign, who are second in the Pacific Division and looking for a Calder Cup.

In Phillips, the Moose are getting a 23-year-old who is in just his second full season of pro hockey, after a long career in the OHL. Selected 118th overall in 2017, the left-shot defenseman has five points in 38 games this season and will be a restricted free agent in the summer, without arbitration rights. While he could potentially go unqualified, he’ll at least get a chance down the stretch to show the Jets organization he’s worth another contract, even if it is of the two-way variety.

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