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AHL Shuffle: 03/20/22

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After a busy Saturday that saw Nicolas Deslauriers traded to the Minnesota Wild, Hampus Lindholm traded to the Boston Bruins, and Claude Giroux traded to the Florida Panthers, as well as several exciting games, the NHL is back in action today. The New York Islanders will visit the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon in the Flyers’ first game since the Claude Giroux trade. The Dallas Stars head to Washington, D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals and try to break out of their recent slide. Perhaps most intriguing, the New York Rangers visit the Carolina Hurricanes in a matchup of two Metropolitan Division heavyweights, and a potential playoff series in the making. Even with all the game action and the potential trade deadline action, there are still plenty of small transactions happening, and we will keep track of them here.

Atlantic Division:

  • After recalling him yesterday, the Ottawa Senators have sent defenseman Dillon Heatherington back to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Heatherington did not get a chance to suit up for Ottawa in their loss last night to Montreal before being sent down, and has not played an NHL game since December 18th. The 26-year-old has had a productive return to North America this season, putting up 11 points in 27 AHL games this season on the blue line after returning from a season in the KHL.

Metropolitan Division:

  • The Ontario Reign announced they have acquired defenseman Thomas Hickey on loan from the New York Islanders. Hickey, who was playing for the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL, will head to the Reign of the AHL, the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate. It’s an interesting move to see, as Hickey is an NHL caliber defenseman who has been playing in the minors for the Islanders for much of the past three seasons in the AHL, now moved in the AHL. Although Hickey does have to move from the east coast to the west, Bridgeport is currently out of the playoff race in the AHL, sitting in seventh place in the Atlantic Division, while Ontario is in second place in the Pacific Division, so an opportunity to help out in meaningful games may be appealing to Hickey.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Brett Leason from the Hershey Bears and re-assigned forward Mike Vecchione to Hershey. A second-round pick by Washington in 2019, Leason has split time between Hershey and Washington this year, tallying four points in 15 games for Hershey and six points in 35 games for the Capitals this season. Vecchione, on the other hand, has produced well for Hershey this year with 12 goals and 24 assists in 43 games, but has seen just one NHL game this year, playing Friday night against Carolina, his first NHL game since he played his only other two for the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2017.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled goaltender Jean-Francois Berube on an emergency recall basis. Berube, 30, has performed admirably so far this season, with a .924 save percentage in his four games played. As regular starter Elvis Merzlikins battles with injuries and Joonas Korpisalo is potentially getting traded before the deadline, Berube’s stay in Columbus could end up being more permanent than his emergency designation would lead one to believe.

Central Division:

  • The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have recalled forward Jeff Malott from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. If he plays, the 25-year-old Mallot would be making his NHL debut after spending the last two seasons with Manitoba. Previously, Mallot spent four years at Cornell University before turning professional for the 2020-21 season. With the addition to their roster, the Jets would now be able sit one of either Paul Stastny or Andrew Copp ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline (or both if they are willing to play 11 forwards and 7 defensemen).

Pacific Division:

  • The Vegas Golden Knights assigned forward Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Daniil Miromanov to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL. Leschyshyn has performed nicely this year in the face of adversity, being routinely shuffled between the NHL and AHL. (In fact, the shuffling continued today. Leschyshyn is already back in Vegas.) Though he has just five points through 27 NHL games this season, he has been a force for Henderson this year, posting 26 points in 32 games. It’s been almost the exact same story for Miromanov this season, shuffling between the NHL and AHL. Miromanov has just one point in nine NHL games this season as a defenseman, but has impressed with 30 points in 42 AHL games. The Golden Knights also called up defenseman Brayden Pachal. Pachal, 22, is an undrafted blueliner who has gotten into one game for the Golden Knights this year. He had seven points in 24 games for the Silver Knights last season.
  • The Seattle Kraken returned forward Kole Lind to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL from loan. Lind played just three games for Seattle on this assignment, and has only played seven this entire season, recording two assists. The forward has performed nicely in Charlotte this year, producing 17 goals and 18 assists in 46 games for the Checkers. The Checkers are the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, however because Seattle’s AHL affiliate will not start until the 2022-23 season, the two teams have agreed to split their use of the Charlotte team for this season.

Ryan Fitzgerald Clears Waivers; Tyson Foerster Loaned To OHL

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Saturday: Fitzgerald has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Friday: The Philadelphia Flyers have placed Ryan Fitzgerald on waivers, suggesting he is ready to return to action after spending the entire year to this point on season-opening injured reserve. In addition, the team has made another interesting transaction, loaning Tyson Foerster back to the Barrie Colts of the OHL.

Foerster, 20, was one of the handful of young players allowed to spend this season in the AHL even when he would have normally been ineligible, because of the number of minor league games he played in 2020-21. Unfortunately, just a few weeks into the season he suffered a shoulder injury that has limited him to just nine games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. His loan back to Barrie is a good sign that he’s ready to return and try to help the Colts chase down a playoff spot over the next few weeks.

Fitzgerald meanwhile is a player who would have normally been waived prior to the season, as his one-year, two-way contract was never supposed to make him a regular on the Flyers roster. In fact, the 27-year-old forward is still waiting for his first taste of NHL action, now five years into his professional career. Originally selected 120th overall by the Boston Bruins in 2013, Fitzgerald had 21 points in 28 games for the Phantoms last season and should provide a nice veteran boost to the group once he’s back up to speed. Given his injury history and inexperience, it is unlikely that Fitzgerald is claimed.

AHL Shuffle: 03/19/22

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The final Saturday before the trade deadline typically yields some activity on the trade front.  On top of that, with 22 teams in action, there should be plenty of AHL-NHL roster movement as well.  We’ll keep track of those here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Dillon Heatherington from AHL Belleville. The blueliner isn’t expected to play tonight against Montreal barring a late scratch due to an injury or a trade.  Heatherington has played in nine games for Ottawa so far this season.
  • The Bruins have returned defenseman Jack Ahcan to AHL Providence, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 24-year-old has been up with Boston for most of the last month but has almost exclusively been in a reserve role.  He’ll get a chance to get some game action in with Providence having a pair of games against Charlotte this weekend.

Metropolitan Division

  • After clearing waivers, the Flyers have loaned winger Ryan Fitzgerald to Lehigh Valley of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 27-year-old had been on season-opening IR until yesterday and is coming off an impressive 2020-21 campaign that saw him pick up 21 points in 28 games with the Phantoms.

Central Division

  • The Predators have recalled defensemen Matt Tennyson and Jeremy Davies from AHL Milwaukee, per a team release. Tennyson has three points in four games with the Preds this season while Davies has only made one NHL appearance this season back in late January.  The recalls were needed with the team placing Mark Borowiecki (lower body) and Matt Benning (upper body) on injured reserve.
  • The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve sent winger Kristian Vesalainen to Manitoba of the AHL.  The 22-year-old has played in 53 games this season with Winnipeg but has just two goals and three assists.  Once viewed as a top prospect after he was picked 24th overall in 2017, the assignment should allow Vesalainen to play a much bigger role compared to the 8:30 ATOI he has this season.

Pacific Division

  • The Kings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Christian Wolanin from AHL Ontario. This is the fifth time that the 27-year-old has been shuffled between the NHL and the minors since last Saturday.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

AHL Shuffle: 03/18/22

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While the entire hockey world is focused on the trade deadline, there are still games to be played over the next few days. The six matches on the schedule for this evening include another entertaining bout between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes, two teams that continue to do battle in the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes are on top but have lost two in a row, while the surging Capitals are on a three-game win streak and now just three points out of a divisional playoff spot. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs made a curious roster move, adding Alex Steeves under emergency conditions while Wayne Simmonds gained non-roster status. The team clarified today that it was for personal reasons and Simmonds would be added back today, and he was with the group again at practice according to Mark Masters of TSN. The team will have to move Steeves (or someone else) off the roster to officially add Simmonds back.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have assigned defenseman Luke Witkowski to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Witkowski, 31, is on his second tour of duty in Detroit and is best known for playing a throwback “enforcer” style of hockey that has become increasingly rare in today’s game.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have assigned Michael Carcone back to the AHL, after he played his second NHL game earlier this week. The 25-year-old forward is a top option in the minor leagues but is still without a single point at the highest level.

Pacific Division

  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned Danny O’Regan to San Diego of the AHL.  He has played just four games with Anaheim this season, recording one assist but he has been more productive in the minors with the Gulls, picking up 26 points in 37 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day. 

Golden Knights Sign Derrick Pouliot To NHL Contract

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There’s a new addition to the Vegas Golden Knights’ list of players under NHL contract, but likely not as big a splash as some fans hope for right now. The team has signed veteran defenseman Derrick Pouliot to a one-year NHL deal after he spent the first part of the 2021-22 season on an AHL deal with their affiliate in Henderson.

Per CapFriendly, Pouliot’s two-way deal pays him a $750,000 salary at the NHL level and a $350,000 salary at the AHL level.

Pouliot, the eighth overall selection in 2012 by Pittsburgh, hasn’t been an NHL regular since 2018-19 with the Vancouver Canucks. He does have over 200 games of NHL experience, though, and the Knights likely hope a combination of that and his offensively-minded game can provide a limited boost to their defense core, which just hasn’t jived well this season.

This is his first year in the Golden Knights organization.

Additionally, the team also sent down Brayden Pachal back to Henderson, giving Daniil Miromanov another call-up in his place. They also activated forwards Mattias Janmark and Brett Howden from injured reserve, allowing for them to return to the lineup tonight.

Owen Tippett To Be Held Out Of AHL Lineup

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The Florida Panthers, or more specifically the Charlotte Checkers, will be holding Owen Tippett out of the lineup tonight according to Darren Dreger of TSN, as trade rumors continue to swirl. Tippett has been linked directly to the Philadelphia Flyers in the past and Dreger once again notes the speculation surrounding Claude Giroux.

Tippett, 23, continues to be a dominant player at the AHL level, with points in 11 of his 12 games with the Checkers and eight in his last five appearances. That minor league success hasn’t really translated to the NHL to this point though, with the young forward racking up just 14 goals and 33 points in 94 career games. Important to remember when considering those numbers though is the role that Tippett has played for the Panthers, rarely seeing anywhere close to top-six minutes given their glut of other talented options. In fact, in his 42 appearances this season he’s broken the 15-minute mark just five times and averages 12:32 on the year.

There is reason to believe that Tippett can produce at a higher level if he’s given the chance. A brilliant goal scorer in the OHL, he was picked tenth overall in 2017. Because of his situation so far, there is actually an interesting opportunity for any acquiring team. Tippett will be a restricted free agent this summer but is still not arbitration-eligible. With his depressed NHL statistics, he won’t be able to negotiate much of a raise over his entry-level salary and perhaps would even be open to a multi-year bridge deal at a relatively low cost. If someone believes that he can take a big step forward quickly–and a team like the Flyers is known to want players that can make an impact right away as they try to avoid a rebuild–he could provide quite a bit of excess value.

An injury at this point would certainly throw a wrench in those plans, meaning Tippett will likely be held out through Monday or until a trade is completed. Giroux meanwhile is set to play in his 1,000th game with the Flyers tonight, a threshold that needed to happen before any deal was possible.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

AHL Shuffle: 03/17/22

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Teams are beginning to make big changes as the NHL trade deadline is just a few days away, but while management focuses on improving the roster, the players must focus on the task at hand. Ten games are on the schedule for this evening, including the struggling Vegas Golden Knights taking on one of the league’s best teams when the Florida Panthers come to town. Vegas has lost five in a row and are slipping down the standings, now just one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks, a team written off just a few months ago. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned Lukas Rousek to the AHL, meaning he’s on his way over from Europe now that his Czech season is over. The sixth-round pick scored 38 points in 49 games for Sparta Praha after signing his entry-level contract last spring. Already 22, he’s signed through next season.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have loaned Cayden Primeau and Jesse Ylonen back to the AHL, making room to activate Jake Allen and Christian Dvorak. Allen hasn’t played in over two months, but should give the Canadiens a little boost down the stretch as he returns from injury.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The yo-yo season continues for Ville Heinola, who is back up with the Winnipeg Jets on an emergency basis. Heinola, 21, has played eight games for the Jets and 32 for the Manitoba Moose so far.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

AHL Shuffle: 03/16/22

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The NHL has just four games on the schedule tonight, including one between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild that could have important playoff implications in both conferences. The Bruins find themselves just two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and three points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division playoff race after their recent hot streak, while Minnesota has lost seven of their last ten and has slipped down into a wild card position. As those teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling:

Atlantic Division

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Jack Studnicka from the AHL, while assigning newly signed Marc McLaughlin to the Providence Bruins to start his pro career. Studnicka has played in ten games for the Bruins this season, registering two points, but has been nearly a point-per-game player in the minor leagues.

Metropolitan Division

  • Maxwell Willman has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers, giving them another forward for tomorrow’s matchup against the Nashville Predators. The Flyers have lost three in a row, seven of their last ten, and appear poised to trade their long-time captain in the coming days. The 27-year-old Willman has earned plenty of NHL action in this disappointing Flyers season, making his debut and playing in 34 games.
  • Morgan Barron has been returned to the AHL, after the New York Rangers acquired Frank Vatrano earlier today. Barron, a sixth-round pick from 2017, has one assist in 13 games for the Rangers but remains a bottom-six option because of his size, physicality and ability to play center.

Central Division

  • The Winnipeg Jets have assigned Ville Heinola to the minor leagues once again. The 21-year-old defenseman continues to be left out of the NHL lineup, and has played just eight games this season for the Jets. The 2019 first-round pick has 18 points in 31 games for the Manitoba Moose, where he’s headed now.

Pacific Division

  • Christian Wolanin has been sent back to the AHL, his third transaction in as many days. The depth defenseman continues to be bounced up and down between leagues while his waiver status allows it, this time as Alex Edler returned to practice for the Los Angeles Kings. Wolanin, 26, has been all over the place this season, playing 24 games with the Ontario Reight, eight with the Kings, and one with the Buffalo Sabres during a short period between waiver claims.
  • Sheldon Rempal and Noah Juulsen have been loaned to the Abbotsford Canucks, as the Canucks continue a homestand that will last through the weekend. Juulsen hasn’t played in over a month and has just seven games for Vancouver on the year, while Rempal played just his first game of the season a few days ago.
  • With Kris Russell nearing a return, the Edmonton Oilers have sent Philip Broberg back to the AHL. The top prospect played just 11:48 last night in the win over Detroit and has averaged just over 13 minutes in 22 appearances this season.

This page will be updated throughout the day

AHL Shuffle: 03/15/22

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After the NHL had just one game on the schedule last night, it’s back to a full slate of games on Tuesday with 22 teams in action. That includes a battle between two up-and-comers in the Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers, both of which could be Stanley Cup contenders in the next few years. The Ducks, after some early season success, have fallen back to the pack and now look like sellers at the deadline, while the Rangers remain in the mix thanks to some outstanding goaltending and timely goal scoring. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • With Ryan Poehling out indefinitely, the young forward has been moved to injured reserve. In his place, the Montreal Canadiens have recalled Jesse Ylonen from the AHL. Ylonen, 22, has two points in eight career NHL games since being drafted 35th overall in 2018.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals, without the services of Lars Eller as he deals with a positive COVID test result, have recalled Mike Vecchione from the AHL. The 29-year-old Vecchione was once a highly sought-after college free agent but hasn’t played in the NHL since 2017 when he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. This season he has taken his minor league game to a new level, scoring 36 points in 43 games for the Hershey Bears.

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • The Calgary Flames have sent Connor Mackey back to the AHL, while recalling Adam Ruzicka. The swap of a defenseman for a forward suggests that Oliver Kylington could be ready to return after missing the last two games due to injury. Ruzicka, 22, has five goals and nine points in 23 games this season for the Flames.
  • As expected, the Los Angeles Kings have made several recalls, bringing Martin Frk, Austin Strand and Christian Wolanin back from the AHL. Frk, a minor league superstar, actually has two goals in three games with the Kings this season.
  • With Jason Dickinson being placed on injured reseve, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Nic Petan from the AHL. Petan, 26, is having another outstanding season in the minors, with 44 points in 37 games for the Abbotsford Canucks.

This page will be updated throughout the day

AHL Shuffle: 03/14/22

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There is just one game on the schedule for this evening, and not one that will garner a ton of interest given their respective seasons. The Arizona Coyotes travel to the Ottawa Senators in a match of two teams without any playoff hopes, though the former is at least showing a little fight down the stretch. The Coyotes are 6-4 in their last ten and have actually climbed within two points of the Seattle Kraken in the battle for last place in the west. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Boris Katchouk from his AHL conditioning stint, where he suited up three times for the Syracuse Crunch. Katchouk is coming off a period on the COVID list and has only played in two NHL games since the start of February. The young forward has six points in 37 games.

Metropolitan Division

  • Depth defenseman Jalen Chatfield has been returned to the AHL by the Carolina Hurricanes. Chatfield is one of the leaders for the Chicago Wolves and only really sees NHL time as an injury replacement. In 30 minor league games this season, he has five goals and 11 points.
  • Trey Fix-Wolansky has been loaned back to the AHL by the Columbus Blue Jackets, after playing his sixth NHL game last night. The 22-year-old forward has two points in those contests, with even that being an impressive number for a player selected 204th overall in 2018. In fact, Fix-Wolansky is the only seventh-round pick from that draft to score an NHL goal to this point.

Central Division

  • The Coyotes have made a move before their game, recalling Michael Carcone and Cam Dineen from the AHL. Hudson Fasching has been sent back down to make room. Carcone, 25, has just one game under his belt at the NHL level but has been outstanding for the Tucson Roadrunners this season.

Pacific Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have loaned Martin Frk, Austin Strand, and Christian Wolanin back to the AHL, a move that may be undone tomorrow when the team is back in action. The Kings often send eligible players down between games to save some salary, though they are not accruing cap space while in long-term injured reserve relief.
  • Not only has John Leonard been recalled from the AHL but he was practicing on the top line with Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov according to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Leonard, 23, has 17 goals and 32 points in 45 games with the San Jose Barracuda but is still looking for his first NHL point of the season.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Paul Cotter and Brayden Pachal, giving them an extra few bodies as they travel to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s game. Cotter, 22, is welcomed back after making his NHL debut earlier this season and playing in six games, scoring twice. Pachal meanwhile has yet to see any NHL action.

This page will be updated throughout the day

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