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AHL Shuffle: 11/11/21

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It’s a very busy night around the NHL, with 11 games on the schedule. As we enter mid-November, teams are starting to understand whether they will be truly able to compete for the Stanley Cup or whether this will be another rebuilding year. As teams try to change that fate or learn to accept it, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens made the recalls of Mattias Norlinder and Ryan Poehling official, with the latter set to make his season debut for the team. Norlinder meanwhile finished his AHL conditioning loan and now will have to either stay with the Canadiens or be assigned back overseas–he has a European Assignment Clause in his contract that would stop him from staying at the AHL level.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned Jamieson Rees to the Chicago Wolves, after he started the year on the injured non-roster list. Reese had meniscus surgery on his right knee last month but appears to be nearing a return to action. The 20-year-old forward was picked in the second round in 2019 and had 14 points in 29 games for the Wolves last season.

Central Division

Pacific Division

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Leo Komarov Expected To Be Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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In something of a surprise move, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports that veteran forward Leo Komarov is expected to be on unconditional waivers tomorrow. The move would be to terminate Komarov’s contract, allowing him to return to the KHL where he would join SKA St. Petersburg. Komarov never did report to Bridgeport after being assigned to the AHL, but by terminating his deal it would mean forfeiting the remainder of his $2MM salary for this season.

Importantly, it would also clear Komarov’s entire $3MM cap hit off the books for the Islanders. Assigning him to the AHL only cleared $1.125MM, meaning New York and GM Lou Lamoriello would gain some extra cap space should this termination go through. After trading away Johnny Boychuk’s deal a few days ago, the Islanders are already under the cap and accruing cap space every day. Moving on from Komarov would give them even more cap space and help to accommodate a midseason acquisition.

The simple fact is that Komarov is no longer effective enough to be a full-time option at the NHL level. The 34-year-old forward recorded just 11 points in 52 games last season (regular season and playoffs combined), with only a single goal. While he’s always been a good defensive player and a physical presence, willing to hit just about anything that moves, his time as a realistic NHL option is over. A return to the KHL makes sense at this point, especially if he can recoup at least most of his remaining NHL salary.

Depending on what he signs in the KHL he may be an unrestricted free agent again next summer, but it seems unlikely that we’ll ever see Komarov as a regular in the NHL again. If that’s true, he leaves with 491 career regular season games, 63 goals, 170 points and 1,160 hits.

Travis Hamonic Assigned To AHL

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The Vancouver Canucks have officially assigned Travis Hamonic to the AHL as they head out on a three-game road trip to the U.S. As Ben Kuzma of Postmedia points out on Twitter, Hamonic is not considered fully vaccinated, so if he traveled with the team he would face quarantine restrictions upon his return to Canada. Instead, the team has recalled Jack Rathbone for the trip and placed Luke Schenn on injured reserve.

In this case, Hamonic had already cleared waivers before the season began so won’t need to go through that process again until he plays in 10 games at the NHL level or spends 30 days on the active roster. The veteran defenseman has been in the lineup four times so far, playing a season-high 19:50 in last night’s overtime loss against the Anaheim Ducks.

Rathbone meanwhile isn’t just some last-minute call-up. The 22-year-old defenseman has already played eight games for Vancouver this season and appears to be a big part of their future on the back end. He recorded one point in two games for Abbotsford, but will get back on the road with the big club and receive another opportunity to show what he can do at the NHL level.

One thing to remember about the Hamonic demotion is that while in the AHL, only $1.125MM of his $3MM cap hit is buried. The team has Tyler Motte traveling with them as he approaches a return from LTIR, meaning the salary cap dance will get even more complicated in the coming weeks for Vancouver.

AHL Shuffle: 11/10/21

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It’s a quiet Wednesday with just three games on tap around the NHL, meaning the AHL transactions page might not be very busy. Still, as always we’ll keep track of all the minor moves up and down as teams shuffle their lineup around.

Atlantic Division

  • Jack Studnicka has been sent back to the Providence Bruins of the AHL, where he is expected to play tonight against the Springfield Thunderbirds. The young Bruins forward has played three games for Providence and four games for Boston this season, bouncing back and forth every few days.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have returned Andrej Sustr to the AHL, now that Mikhail Sergachev has served his two-game suspension. Sustr has played in eight games for the team this season, recording one goal.
  • The Florida Panthers have returned Chris Gibson to the Charlotte Checkers, suggesting Sergei Bobrovsky is healthy enough to return for the team. Gibson is not expected to contribute much for the Panthers this season, but is a handy insurance option to have around given he has a handful of games at the NHL level.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • After activating Isaak Phillips from the COVID protocol today, the Chicago Blackhawks have returned him to the AHL. The young defenseman has played three games this season for Chicago, despite having just 31 AHL contests under his belt to this point.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Zayde Wisdom On Track For Canada World Junior Selection Camp After Surgery

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According to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Zayde Wisdom is progressing ahead of schedule after receiving shoulder surgery and could return in early December in time for Team Canada’s selection camp for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championships.

The Flyers announced Wisdom was out indefinitely after undergoing successful shoulder surgery on August 13.

Selected in the fourth round in the 2020 NHL Draft by Philadelphia, Wisdom already looks like a potential gem for the Flyers organization. After scoring 29 goals and 59 points in 62 games with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs in his draft year, the OHL’s COVID-related shutdown in 2020-21 allowed him the chance to play with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. With the Phantoms, Wisdom impressed, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 28 games as an 18-year-old.

Wisdom is eligible to return to the AHL this season, as he played enough games last season to become exempt from the standard NHL/CHL player agreement. Under normal circumstances, Wisdom would be required to play back with his team in Kingston, if not the NHL.

With that kind of production, Wisdom is expected to at least get a look to make Canada’s World Juniors team this year, although it will be a challenge with an exceptionally deep roster. If he returns to Lehigh Valley and continues to impress, he could be a candidate for a late-season call-up in Philadelphia as well.

Philadelphia Flyers Loan Samu Tuomaala To Finland

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The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned Samu Tuomaala back to Finland, where he’ll re-join Karpat, his Liiga team. Tuomaala had been playing in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, suiting up for his first two AHL games. The team has also recalled Nick Seeler from the Phantoms.

Tuomaala, 18, was the 46th overall pick in this year’s draft and would have been one of just a handful of players from that class spending this season in North American pro hockey. Sending him back to continue his development overseas certainly isn’t unexpected, though there had been talk of potentially loaning him to the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL instead. Sudbury picked him 31st overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, but Tuomaala will instead go back to compete at the highest level in Finland.

He played just five games with Karpat’s pro team last season, spending the rest of the time with the organization’s U20 group where he scored 15 goals and 31 points in 30 games. Moving from that level to Liiga is not always an easy transition for teenaged forwards to make, but Tuomala is armed with a top-end shot that could help him contribute even in limited minutes. The next step will be rounding out his 200-foot game, playing better away from the puck instead of just impressing when it’s on his stick.

Victor Mete Added To COVID Protocol

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When Victor Mete wasn’t on the ice this morning with the Ottawa Senators, it raised concerns over whether he too would be ruled out. The Senators have made it official, placing Mete in the COVID protocol for the time being. With his roster spot, Ottawa has recalled Filip Gustavsson from the AHL. Anton Forsberg will not be able to dress for tonight’s game because of a non-COVID illness.

Mete joins Austin Watson, Nick Holden, Connor Brown, Dylan Gambrell, and assistant coach Jack Capuano in the protocol, leaving them very shorthanded for tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins. Young players like Egor Sokolov are getting an opportunity because of the absences, but this isn’t exactly how the team hoped to be operating a month into the season. The group is already without Shane Pinto, Clark Bishop, and Colin White due to injury, meaning tonight will see a forward group that includes just a handful of players from their expected roster.

The Senators have lost four games in a row and now sit just one point out of last place in the Atlantic Division. There have been flashes of hope throughout the lineup, but overall the team hasn’t been able to take the next step in their rebuild.

Mete’s status has not been confirmed at this time, but he’s currently out indefinitely. Young defender Erik Brannstrom is expected to be back in the lineup for the first time this season, after being sent back to the AHL to start the year.

AHL Shuffle: 11/09/21

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It’s a busy Tuesday night with 12 games on the NHL schedule, including a match between the two newest franchises. The Seattle Kraken visit the Vegas Golden Knights for the second time this season, after losing 4-3 in the first game of the year. The two Pacific Division rivals are both struggling, with neither one in a playoff position a month into the season. As they and others prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled Jesper Boqvist and Tyce Thompson from the minor leagues, after clearing some room on the roster yesterday. Boqvist and Thompson are both off to great starts in the minor leagues, scoring eight and seven points respectively through seven games. Should they get into the lineup, it would be the season debut for either young forward.

Central Division

  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Alex Newhook from the AHL, much to the delight of many fans. The 20-year-old forward has 11 points in 10 games with the Colorado Eagles this season and could get a longer look in the NHL lineup this time around.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Connor Brown, Dylan Gambrell Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Ottawa Senators canceled practice today for precautionary reasons, suggesting that there was more bad COVID news coming down the pipe. The team has now announced that Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell have both been placed in the COVID protocol and are unavailable. In their place, the team has recalled Scott Sabourin and Egor Sokolov from the AHL.

The two Senators forwards join teammates Austin Watson, Nick Holden, and coach Jack Capuano in the protocol, though the team has not confirmed any additional positive results. Ottawa is set to take on the Boston Bruins tomorrow, and though that game is still scheduled for the moment, it’s unclear who will actually be available for the Senators.

For Sokolov, it would be his NHL debut should he enter the lineup tomorrow. The 21-year-old forward was a second-round pick in 2020, picked after going undrafted in previous years. He quickly showed that his combination of size and scoring ability was good enough to make up for any skating concerns at the AHL level, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in his rookie season. This year he’s been even better for the Belleville Senators, getting off to a strong start with six points in nine games.

Meanwhile, losing Brown for any length of time is a big hit for the Senators, given how big a role he plays for the team. Averaging more than 20 minutes a night, the 27-year-old forward actually sees more short-handed ice time than even any of the team’s defensemen. He’s also a regular contributor on the powerplay and one of the group’s most reliable offensive players. In 11 games, he has seven points on the year.

The concern now is how widespread these breakthrough infections will be, and how many other players will be affected. After games tomorrow and Thursday, the Senators have a back-to-back over the weekend, games that hopefully they will have some good news for.

AHL Shuffle: 11/08/21

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It’s a very quiet Monday in the NHL, with just three games on the schedule. That does include the Florida Panthers, however, who are looking to stay perfect in regulation. The Panthers are 10-0-1 on the season, have the best goal differential in the league, and a six-point clearance on second place in the Atlantic Division. It’ll be up to the New York Rangers this evening to try and slow down that fast start. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Andrej Sustr from the minor leagues, who was only sent down a few days ago. Sustr has played in eight games for the Lightning this season, recording one goal.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have officially recalled Alex Lyon from the minor leagues after Antti Raanta left with an injury on Saturday night. Raanta came out to play a puck and collided hard with Ryan Lomberg, but there has not yet been any confirmation on how long the goaltender will be out.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, and he’s expected to make his NHL debut this evening. Coincidentally, it will come against the Buffalo Sabres, the team that claimed him and then put him back on waivers earlier this season.
  • After he cleared waivers, the New Jersey Devils have assigned Marian Studenic to the AHL. With him is Frederik Gauthier, who is also headed to the minor leagues after playing eight games for the team this season. Gauthier cleared waivers at the start of the season but was never assigned to the AHL, meaning his clock is almost used up. Should he play in ten games or spend 30 days on the NHL roster, he would need to go through waivers again to be sent down.

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Reese Johnson from the AHL, bringing him back up after a few games in the minor leagues. The 23-year-old has yet to score in six appearances for the Blackhawks this season, and, in fact, is still waiting on his first NHL point overall.
  • With Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar nearing a return, the Colorado Avalanche have sent Sampo Ranta to the AHL. Ranta has played ten games this season but doesn’t have an NHL point just yet.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Mikhail Berdin back to the AHL once again, recalling Kristian Vesalainen in his place. Berdin has now filled in a few times for the team, but still hasn’t actually appeared in a game. The 23-year-old has an .893 save percentage in six games at the AHL level this season.

Pacific Division

  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Artemi Kniazev, Joel Kellman, and Sasha Chmelevski from the AHL, giving them some extra bodies to work with. The Sharks are heading on a five-game road trip and won’t be back in San Jose until November 20.

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