Taro Hirose Clears Waivers
According to CapFriendly, Detroit Red Wings forward Taro Hirose has cleared waivers after being placed on them yesterday (link). Hirose will now report to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, who play their final game of the season tonight on the road against the Cleveland Monsters. The Griffins however, are not headed to the AHL playoffs, so if Hirose plays tonight, it would be his last game action of the NHL and AHL seasons.
The 25-year-old Hirose has bounced between the NHL and AHL the past four seasons, spending all of them in the Detroit organization. A standout at Michigan State for three seasons, Hirose turned pro in 2019, joining the Red Wings for 10 games down the stretch, putting up an impressive seven points. In the three seasons since, Hirose has played in 47 NHL games, tallying just 13 points in the process.
The forward has found success though in the AHL, where he has been one of the Griffins key players. This season, Hirose has 15 goals and 38 assists in 59 games for Grand Rapids, his highest points and games played totals in his AHL career. What’s next in his career remains to be seen, as Hirose is projected to be a Group 6 UFA this summer, during which he will turn 26. A good skater with playmaking ability, he could be valuable to a number of teams as a low-cost depth option with NHL experience.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Brendan Brisson To Three-Year Entry Level Contract
The Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have signed one of their top prospects, forward Brendan Brisson, to a three-year, entry-level contract (link). The signing does not come as much of a surprise, as Brisson had recently been signed to an amateur tryout with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL after his sophomore season at the University of Michigan came to a close. With Vegas’ season having concluded and Henderson in the AHL playoffs, Brisson will obviously not see any NHL action this season, but could be a strong candidate to see serious time for Vegas next year.
The son of prominent NHL player agent Pat Brisson, Brendan has quickly made his own name for himself, beginning his career as a first round draft pick, 29th overall, of Vegas in 2020. The forward played two seasons for Michigan, dominating the NCAA with 63 points in 62 games over those two seasons. Prior to college, Brisson played parts of two seasons in the USHL, including an impressive 24 goals and 35 assists in 45 games with the Chicago Steel in 2019-20. After turning pro, the forward again dominated the competition. Albeit a small sample size, Brisson showed he was ready for the competition, scoring three goals to go along with five assists in six games.
After a rollercoaster, and ultimately disappointing season for Vegas, signing one of their top prospects gives the organization a positive note to end on and something to look forward to in 2022-23. Still in a cap crunch, the team is clearly going to have to look towards low-cost options to produce at a higher rate and Brisson may be the best option available in that regard. Stepping up when the competition gets tougher has never been an issue for the 20-year-old and though the NHL is the toughest league in the world, he has yet to give anyone reason to doubt him.
Taro Hirose Placed On Waivers
Saturday: Hirose has cleared waivers as expected as the Red Wings have assigned him to the Griffins. Kyle Criscuolo and Joe Veleno were also sent down.
Friday: You don’t often see players hit waivers at this point in the season, but CapFriendly reports that it happened today. Taro Hirose of the Detroit Red Wings is on waivers, which would allow him to play in the Grand Rapids Griffins’ final game on Saturday.
It is an extraordinarily odd thing to do, given the Griffins aren’t even going to the playoffs, but it could get Hirose in at least one more game should he clear and be assigned to the minor leagues tomorrow. He is still eligible to play in the AHL because he was on a minor league roster at the trade deadline, but needs waivers because he has played more than ten NHL games since the last time he cleared.
Hirose, 25, will be a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after playing in just 57 games since signing with the Red Wings in 2018. He actually has recorded 20 points in that time, but seems likely to receive nothing more than a short-term two-way contract on the open market. He can help strengthen a minor league club, as he’s been nearly a point-per-game player in the AHL, but his NHL upside now looks limited to injury replacement.
If a team claimed him, he would not be eligible to play in the NHL playoffs.
AHL Shuffle: 04/30/22
Today marks the end of the regular season for most teams, as the eliminated ones conduct their exit interviews and contending ones gear up for the playoffs. There are no games on the docket today, and the only remaining regular season contest is a Sunday tie between the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets. Today should see some action with teams shuffling their rosters in order to get their AHL affiliates the ideal rosters for the Calder Cup playoffs, and we’ll keep track of all that roster shuffling here.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have made a whole host of moves to add players to the Belleville Senators in advance of their affiliate’s playoff run. The team assigned four players to Belleville: goaltender Filip Gustavsson and forwards Viktor Lodin, Mark Kastelic, and Parker Kelly. While Gustavsson, Kastelic, and Lodin (at least since he has come over to North America) have played more games for Belleville than Ottawa this season, Kelly actually got into 41 NHL games compared to 33 in the AHL, so getting him back for their playoff run will likely be a nice boost for Belleville as they look to capture the Calder Cup.
- While not an AHL transaction, the Buffalo Sabres have loaned goaltender Michael Houser to Cincinnati of the ECHL. The 29-year-old had his minor league deal converted to an NHL pact back in January and he was recalled yesterday to serve as the backup for Buffalo’s final game of the season.
- The Boston Bruins have returned defensemen Jack Ahcan plus forwards Marc McLaughlin, Oskar Steen, and Jack Studnicka to Providence of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log. All four players were in the lineup last night for their regular season finale against Toronto. One player who isn’t going to be returned for the AHL playoffs, however, is forward Chris Wagner, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). He recorded 11 hits last night and will be kept as a fourth line option for their series against Carolina.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned winger Joey Anderson to Toronto of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log. Anderson played 12:33 against Boston last night while on emergency recall. He has 42 points in 55 games with the Marlies this season, a team that is trying to secure the final North Division playoff spot this afternoon.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled center Riley Nash, per an announcement from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse. Brayden Point was scratched for their game on Friday and Nash will serve as an extra option down the middle in case Point’s injury carries over into the playoffs. Nash had four assists in 49 games between the Lightning and Coyotes this season.
Metropolitan Division
- While this was reported yesterday, the New York Rangers today confirmed the seven black aces that will be joining the team for their playoff run. The team has recalled forwards Tim Gettinger, Lauri Pajuniemi, defensemen Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, Nils Lundkvist, Jarred Tinordi, and goaltender Keith Kinkaid from the Hartford Wolf Pack. For the Rangers, the team is hoping that their roster stays healthy and none of these players end up needing to play. But with the brutal nature of playoff hockey, one or two could find their way into the lineup.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have loaned the following players to their AHL Affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms: Defensemen Egor Zamula and Linus Hogberg and goaltender Felix Sandstrom. Each player has played the majority of their season with the Phantoms, but has gotten some games in with the Flyers more recently as the team plays out the stretch run of what has been a miserable season for their franchise. Now, each player gets the chance to return to where they have spent most of their seasons to help the Phantoms for their final game of their season, a contest against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
- The New Jersey Devils announced that they’ve returned wingers Alexander Holtz, Fabian Zetterlund, and Nolan Foote, as well as defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk, Reilly Walsh, and Kevin Bahl to Utica of the AHL. The Comets finished first in the North Division and will now have ample reinforcements coming in time for the playoffs. New Jersey also assigned 2021 first-round pick Chase Stillman to Utica after his junior team in Peterborough was eliminated in the OHL playoffs.
Central Division
- The St. Louis Blues announced the recall of center Dakota Joshua from Springfield of the AHL. The 25-year-old has split the season between the Blues and Thunderbirds, picking up three goals and five assists in 30 NHL contests plus nine goals and 11 helpers in 35 AHL contests. Joshua should start the playoffs as extra depth but could get into the lineup at some point in their series against Minnesota.
Pacific Division
- With the Anaheim Ducks out of the playoffs, they have returned defensemen Simon Benoit and Trevor Carrick plus wingers Buddy Robinson and Hunter Drew to San Diego of the AHL. The Gulls secured the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division and will play Ontario (the Kings’ affiliate) in a best-of-three play-in series beginning next week.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Jack Quinn Wins AHL Rookie Of The Year
Perhaps more than any other prospect in hockey, Buffalo Sabres’ first-rounder Jack Quinn‘s stock skyrocketed over the course of this 2021-22 season, and that is in large part due to his performance in the AHL. As a result, the coaches, players and members of the media in the AHL have selected Quinn as the 2021-22 AHL Rookie of the Year. This news comes as another note of optimism to conclude an exciting Sabres season, a campaign that has shown Sabres fans a light at the end of the team’s 11-year playoff-less tunnel. Quinn joins some prestigious company as a Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial winner, with many future stars such as Brett Hull and Mikko Rantanen having taken home the award in the past.
Quinn, 20, was selected 8th overall in 2020, and was a member of the star-studded Ottawa 67’s team that tore the OHL apart before the pandemic ended their 2019-20 season. Before this year, Quinn had played 15 AHL games with the Sabres’ affiliate, the Rochester Americans, but he maintained his rookie eligibility status. He followed up that impressive 15-game trial run (where he posted 9 points) with this year’s campaign, a season where he scored at a blistering pace. He had 25 goals and 59 points in only 44 games, good for second on the Americans, despite getting into fewer games than many of his teammates. As an 8th overall pick, is was always known that Quinn had the potential to be a dangerous top-six scorer, but after such a successful campaign it’s clear there is even more upside in his game than there may have initially seemed to be.
For the Sabres, this award will only bolster the optimism of a market eagerly awaiting their team’s return to relevance. The Sabres have amassed an enviable stable of young talent, led by a quartet of top draft picks in Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Dylan Cozens, and Quinn, and with those four in tow, they should be a competitive team next season. It seems Sabres fans agree, as over 93% of Sabres fans polled by The Athletic’s John Vogl (subscription link) believe the Sabres will return to the playoffs within the next two seasons. With the rise of Quinn cemented by this award, that number can only go up.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Bobby McMann
The Toronto Maple Leafs have rewarded one of their standout AHL performers with an NHL contract, signing Bobby McMann to a two-year, two-way deal that will start next season. The contract carries an average annual value of $762.5K. McMann is currently playing on a minor league deal.
If you want an example of how a development system can make a difference, McMann is a strong example of how Toronto has poured resources into that side of the organization. Undrafted and unsigned by any NHL team out of Colgate University, he joined the Toronto Marlies on a two-year AHL contract in 2020 and started his professional career with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. After playing well there he ended up with the Marlies, but it was obvious that McMann wasn’t quite ready to contribute at that level. In 21 AHL games, he registered just four points.
This season he once again spent time in the ECHL with the Newfoundland Growlers but has been on the Marlies roster for most of the year. Recently, he set the team rookie record with 24 goals and has 35 points in 60 games overall. Now signed to an NHL contract he’ll have an opportunity to keep climbing the ladder.
Earning your first NHL deal a few months before turning 26 certainly isn’t the normal path to the NHL, and McMann will obviously have to continue his hard work if he ever wants to pull on a Maple Leafs sweater. But given the fact that Toronto is often pushing right up to the 50-contract limit for the organization, being one of them means they obviously see enough in him to warrant something greater than another AHL extension.
AHL Shuffle: 04/29/22
Today would have normally been the end of the regular season, if it wasn’t for a rescheduled match between the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets still to come on Sunday. With 30 of 32 teams in action this evening, nearly the whole league will get in one more chance to show what they can do before either entering the postseason or the offseason. Some games still matter for seeding, as the Boston Bruins could potentially nab a first-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs by beating them tonight, or the Nashville Predators could avoid the Colorado Avalanche with a win over the Arizona Coyotes. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Viktor Lodin and Scott Sabourin, with the former expected to make his NHL debut this evening. The 22-year-old Lodin was just recently brought over to North America, assigned to the AHL after his breakout season in the SHL. Through nine games with the Belleville Senators, he has shown exactly why the organization is so excited about him, scoring five goals and seven points.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Michael Houser, while re-assigning Casey Fitzgerald and Aaron Dell to the AHL. With Craig Anderson still battling an injury, Houser may end up dressing tonight as the Sabres take on the Chicago Blackhawks in the final game of their season.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
- The Arizona Coyotes have announced that forward Bokondji Imama has been called up from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Imama, 25, made his NHL debut recently with the Coyotes, and even scored his first NHL goal. He has 12 points in 54 AHL games, to go with 178 penalty minutes.
Pacific Division
- The Edmonton Oilers have reassigned 2019 8th overall pick Philip Broberg to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Broberg has split time this season between Bakersfield and Edmonton and has 23 points in 31 games at the AHL level to go along with 3 points in 23 games with the Oilers. The Condors are locked into a Calder Cup playoff spot, so perhaps Edmonton feels it would be better to get him experience there than as a Black Ace for the Oilers’ playoff run.
This page is updated throughout the day
AHL Shuffle: 04/28/22
We’re just a few days away from the end of the regular season but there are still quite a few games to get on the books. Today has nine matches, including an important match between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche. In fact, it could be a potential first-round preview should the Predators end up with the second wild card spot. Currently one point behind the Stars, Nashville is also without starting goaltender Juuse Saros.
As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Laval Rocket will get Cayden Primeau back in time for tonight’s game, as the goaltender was sent down by the Montreal Canadiens. With the Canadiens off until tomorrow, Primeau could be called back up, depending on the health of the other goaltenders.
- Nicholas Robertson has been returned to the minor leagues, with the Toronto Marlies trying to clinch a playoff spot this evening. The 20-year-old forward played just over 12 minutes on Tuesday, but is still looking for his second NHL goal.
- The Buffalo Sabres recalled netminder Aaron Dell from the Rochester Americans again today as they deal with injuries in the crease. As starter Craig Anderson remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, the Sabres have swapped Dell and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out for one another multiple times now over the past week.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
Pacific Division
- The Seattle Kraken have sent Cale Fleury and Joey Daccord back to the AHL, two players that will be able to help the Charlotte Checkers on their Calder Cup chase. The Checkers were one of the AHL’s best teams with a 42-24-6 record this season but still don’t know who they will face in the first round. Because they were on the AHL roster at the trade deadline, both players are eligible to suit up in the postseason.
- The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Philip Broberg, giving them another defenseman to help finish out the season. With Darnell Nurse out for the moment, the team needs some bodies to play the last two games, games that are essentially meaningless as they already hold the tiebreaker over the third-place Los Angeles Kings.
- The Arizona Coyotes sent forward Jan Jenik back to the Tucson Roadrunners today to end the season. Jenik had three points in 13 games with the Coyotes this season.
This page is updated throughout the day
AHL Announces 2021-22 All-Rookie Team
With the AHL season coming to a close and the Calder Cup playoffs right around the corner, awards and accolades are starting to be handed out. Today, the league announced the 2021-22 All-Rookie Team, which is voted on by coaches, players, and media. Though not a guarantee of future NHL success, the AHL rookie team has a long history of star players including captains, Stanley Cup champions, and future Hall of Fame members.
The 2021-22 selections:
G Dustin Wolf, Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
D Jack Rathbone, Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks)
D Jordan Spence, Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)
F Jakob Pelletier, Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
F J.J. Peterka, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
F Jack Quinn, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
While each of the winners is a player to keep an eye on, it’s once again Wolf that seems to stand out among the crowd. While the forwards are all high draft picks, and the defensemen fourth-round selections, Wolf has continued to impress since being the 214th overall pick in 2019. Selected with the fourth-last pick in the draft, the undersized netminder simply stops the puck better than almost all of his competitors.
This season, his first in the AHL, Wolf went 33-8-4 with a .924 save percentage, leading the entire league in wins. Given the fact that Calgary is also a true contender for the Stanley Cup, it’s incredibly impressive to have two players on the All-Rookie team this season.
In Buffalo, things are getting very exciting as a new wave of talent emerges to try and drag the organization back to the playoffs. Peterka and Quinn were both outstanding in their rookie years, with the latter actually scoring at a better rate than almost anyone else. Quinn’s 59 points in 44 games is a better per-game rate than any qualified player other than T.J. Tynan and Andrew Poturalski, the league’s best two forwards. With the other young talent already in Buffalo, things are looking up for the Sabres.
Joe Snively Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Washington Capitals could be getting Joe Snively back as a depth option in the next little while, as the injured forward has been sent to the Hershey Bears on an LTIR conditioning loan. Snively is coming back from wrist surgery and will be eligible for the Bears first-round playoff series, should they want to insert him into the lineup.
Of course, while it’s great news for the Bears and their Calder Cup hopes, there is a bigger prize that the Capitals have their eyes on and Snively could potentially help them get there. This is a player that recorded four goals and seven points in his first 12 NHL games, and could potentially step into an offensive role should the Capitals suffer any injuries along the way.
For now, he’ll need to get back up to speed in the AHL. Snively had 38 points in 35 games to start the year with Hershey and should immediately give them another top-line player to help their playoff run. The team had middling success through the second half of the year and ended up going 34-32-10 on the year, good enough for fifth place in the Atlantic Division.