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Nick Robertson Out 10 Weeks With Broken Leg

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If you were a Toronto Maple Leafs fan counting the days until top prospect Nicholas Robertson gets recalled, you might need to find a new hobby. The young forward suffered a broken right fibula in Sunday’s AHL contest and will be out a minimum of ten weeks. Robertson will not undergo surgery.

The uninspiring play of Nick Ritchie on the Maple Leafs’ top line through the first few games of the season has many wondering if Robertson would get a chance to play in Toronto’s top-six this season, but that idea will have to wait for quite some time. The young forward has been plagued by injury issues through the early part of his professional career, missing a good chunk of last season with a serious knee issue.

Now 20, the 2019 second-round pick has ten NHL and 23 AHL games under his belt since dominating the OHL a few seasons ago. After being drafted, he put up 55 goals in just 46 games for the Peterborough Petes, making scouts drool with his mix of finishing ability and relentless tenacity. Unfortunately, unlike his brother Jason Robertson, the Maple Leafs prospect stands just 5’9″ and to this point hasn’t been able to withstand the punishment of a full professional season.

Kevin Connauton, Joseph Woll Activated From Injured Reserve

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A pair of preseason injuries are no longer limiting two players that are looking to push for more NHL opportunity this season. PuckPedia reports that the Florida Panthers have activated veteran defenseman Kevin Connauton from the Season-Opening Injured Reserve and CapFriendly reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have done the same with young goaltender Joseph Woll.

Connauton, 33, is just two years removed from being a starter for the Arizona Coyotes and the year before that set a career high with 21 points and 73 games. Yet, the past two years he has been used sparingly, to say the least. Connauton played in only four games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2019-20 and last season suited up for just seven games with the Panthers. Despite his limited NHL time of late, Florida still re-signed the experienced blue liner this summer and at least seem willing to give him a shot at a permanent job by not only activating him to the NHL roster, but making room by demoting priority NCAA free agent addition Matt Kiersted. The Cats are still only carrying seven defensemen with Markus Nutivaara currently on injured reserve, but Connauton may still have to prove he is worthy of a roster spot before Nutivaara returns. With solid depth on the blue line, recently supplemented by the acquisition of Olli Juolevi, Florida needs a reason to keep Connauton on the NHL roster and his seven games last season may not be enough. Getting healthy and back in action as quickly as he did certainly helps his case though.

Woll, 23, may ironically have a better shot at NHL opportunity this season despite having no experience in the league. The 2016 third-round pick, who was a standout at Boston College, has been with the AHL Marlies for the past two seasons and while his numbers aren’t eye-popping, his play continues to draw praise. The Toronto net is far from set and just while Woll was recovering from injury himself, the Leafs lost off-season addition Petr Mrazek to injury. Mrazek signed a three-year deal this summer, but has a history of injury issues. Current starter Jack Campbell and backup Michael Hutchinson are on expiring contracts and will be on the wrong side of 30 as they look for their next deal. Between planning for the future and managing the present, the Maple Leafs have some incentive to give Woll a look – potentially a long look – this season. Now healthy, the young keeper can settle in down in the AHL and hopefully look forward to his NHL debut sooner rather than later.

Minnesota Wild Suspend Ivan Lodnia

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There have long been expectations for Ivan Lodnia to get to the pro ranks in North America and now, just when it seemed like he was finally there, it may already be over for the young forward. Lodnia, in the fifth year of his entry-level contract but just the first in which he had planned to play within the Minnesota Wild organization, has been suspended indefinitely. Lodnia opted not to report to the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders after failing to earn a roster spot with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that the team has in turn informed Lodnia’s agent that he is on unpaid suspension until he agrees to play in the ECHL – or until the two sides decide on a mutual contract termination.

Lodnia, 22, was once a well-regarded prospect for the Wild, but that status is now in doubt. A 2017 third-round pick, Lodnia had the rare development path of playing for both the U.S. National Team Development Program and in the Canadian major junior ranks with the OHL’s Erie Otters and Niagara Ice Dogs. Lodnia signed his entry-level deal in the same year that he was drafted and proceeded to play at a near point-per-game pace in the OHL that season and even earn some AHL action on an amateur tryout with Iowa. Following a move to Niagara, he succeeded in topping a point-per-game pace in his final two junior seasons. The young forward looked primed to get his start in the AHL last season, but due to the delay in the start of the season he instead was playing in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk and the Wild opted to leave him on loan with the club through the 2020-21 campaign. Lodnia managed only seven points in 27 games with Minsk, but it was it his first pro experience.

One can understand why Lodnia might be confused and frustrated with his current situation. A young forward with strong junior numbers, solid draft pedigree, and pro experience who the team once valued so much that they signed him almost immediately drafting him: why is he not getting a chance in the AHL? While Lodnia does not seem like the caliber of prospect that should be in the ECHL, ultimately it is his job to play where the Wild ask him to play. After a season spent overseas seeing minimal ice time, Minnesota may want him to play top line minutes in the ECHL rather than a depth role in the AHL. The team may also be concerned about him even getting into the Iowa lineup with a full set of a dozen forwards signed to NHL deals who are also currently assigned to the AHL. Not only that, but Iowa’s current forward corps boasts a number of top prospects as well as seasoned veterans. Lodnia may simply be the odd man out right now.

Whatever the reasons, Minnesota has the right to assign their prospects where they see fit and to suspend them if they do not report. Per Russo, Lodnia is currently at home and still debating whether he will report to Iowa City or not and will remain suspended until there is a shift in the status quo. If no resolution can be reached, Lodnia’s contract could be terminated, making him a free agent. It’s an interesting possibility given that, on paper, he still looks like a good prospect and may not be the typical clean waive-and-terminate if other NHL teams are interested. However, Lodnia’s insistence on playing where he wants and not where the team needs him could be a turn off to rival clubs. With KHL experience already on his resume, perhaps a termination could lead to a return to Europe like so many do, though it would be a disappointing result for a long path toward NHL relevance for Lodnia.

Cody Glass Assigned To AHL

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This summer, the Nashville Predators decided to move Ryan Ellis, a franchise icon who had played more than 560 games for the team and was so important to the team that in 2017, when asked who should be the next captain of the team, Roman Josi (who was eventually awarded the “C”) said his fellow defenseman instead of himself. Ellis was made an “associate captain” at the time, showing just how highly the organization and team thought of him. When it became obvious that their cap situation was going to be difficult to navigate moving forward, Ellis was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick. Immediately, Patrick was flipped to his old junior coach Kelly McCrimmon and the Vegas Golden Knights, in exchange for Cody Glass.

Glass had failed to establish himself as a regular in the loaded Vegas forward group, with just 66 NHL games under his belt entering this season. He had scored nine goals and 22 points in that time, but had also only suited up for a handful of AHL games each season. The hope was that in Nashville, he could take a bigger role, which could help his NHL career take off.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened to this point and today the Predators assigned Glass to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. To explain the move, Predators head coach John Hynes said that the best thing for Glass right now would be to play first-line minutes at the minor league level:

So, we had a good talk with him yesterday, we feel like he’s going to be a real important guy for us, but right now what’s best for him is to be able to go play in Milwaukee, play top-line center minutes, play first powerplay minutes, get some touches and be able to produce and play a big role, work on his faceoffs and get himself up and running a little bit better.

Sending a young player to the minor leagues to continue his development with big minutes on the first line is nothing new, but it’s not usually done with a 22-year-old sixth-overall pick that has spent most of his professional career to this point in the NHL. Glass will turn 23 this season (next April) and is on the final year of his entry-level contract. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, though not eligible for arbitration.

There’s even more pressure on the Predators to prove that Glass was the right choice, because of what they gave up for him. While Ellis plays huge minutes in Philadelphia–28:20 with two assists in his first match–Predators’ fans will have to wait and hope this slow, developmental approach with their new forward will pay off.

AHL Shuffle: 10/18/21

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We’re not even a week into the regular season and already there have been two teams forced to play shorthanded due to cap restraints and injury. The Toronto Maple Leafs used Ryerson University goaltender Alex Bishop as the backup on Saturday, while the Colorado Avalanche dressed just 19 players. With so many teams pushed right up against the cap ceiling, the daily up-and-down of minor league transactions won’t stop anytime soon.

Atlantic Division

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned Joseph Woll to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, a good sign that he’s nearing a return from the injury that kept him out most of the preseason. The young goaltender posted an .892 save percentage in 15 games for the Marlies last season. With the injury to Petr Mrazek and Michael Hutchinson’s recall, the Marlies will need the goaltending depth in the coming weeks.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Nick Seeler from the AHL once again, already his fourth transaction since clearing waivers on Oct 11. The depth defenseman played in one game so far for the Flyers and will likely fill in whenever someone is injured this season. Rasmus Ristolainen was skating this morning but is not expected to play tonight.

Central Division

  • Those Avalanche have made several changes to work around their cap troubles, including recalling Mikhail Maltsev and Martin Kaut from the AHL. Dylan Sikura has been sent down in their place, while both Pavel Francouz and Stefan Matteau have been moved to long-term injured reserve. The Avalanche have a little more flexibility now because of those LTIR placements, but it will be a difficult cap dance all season long.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Tommy Novak from the AHL, sending Cody Glass to the minor leagues in his place. Novak has never played a game at the NHL level, but does have strong production in the minors and even registered three points in his first game for the Milwaukee Admirals this season. Glass meanwhile failed to record a point in either of the first two games for Nashville after an offseason trade brought him to the Predators.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Mike Hardman from the AHL, moving Ian Mitchell down to make room. The swap adds a forward to the mix for the team’s home opener tomorrow night, where the Blackhawks will need to turn around a ship that is already taking on water just three games into the year.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have loaned Vladislav Provolnev to the Tucson Roadrunners, recalling Dysin Mayo in his place. The 26-year-old Provolnev was signed out of the KHL but has not played a game yet for the Coyotes. Mayo on the other hand has spent more than five years in the minors for the organization without suiting up for an NHL game.

Pacific Division

Mikko Lehtonen Signs Long-Term Contract In KHL

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The brief experiment of KHL stud defenseman Mikko Lehtonen plying his trade in North America is over, perhaps for good. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Lehtonen has signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg. At 27 years old, this could mark the end of his NHL career. The move comes less than a week after his contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets was terminated.

Lehtonen’s time in North America was tumultuous, to say the least. Lehtonen signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a one-year deal in May 2020. Despite the future contract being signed in-season, implying that Lehtonen was a player that Toronto had been closely following and had prioritized, his time with the Leafs was short-lived. Lehtonen was traded to Columbus in March after playing in just nine games. He played much more frequently for the Blue Jackets down the stretch, logging 17 games. Yet, he produced the same three points in Columbus as he did in Toronto, totaling zero goals, six points, and a -2 rating to show for his first year. Unsurprisingly, Lehtonen failed to crack the Columbus roster in training camp this season. However, he refused to report to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, leading to a pass through unconditional waivers and a contract termination.

Though some players have contracts terminated and are still able to find another landing spot in the NHL, such as Sami Niku last month, it should come as no surprise that Lehtonen has instead opted to return to Russia. The KHL’s Defenseman of the Year in 2019-20, Lehtonen recorded 17 goals and 49 points in 60 games for Jokerit. He was then a point-per-game player in 17 games with the club before reporting to Toronto last year. A player who has previously produced at a high level in Sweden and his native Finland, Lehtonen simply seems built for the European game. Joining a powerhouse like SKA, Lehtonen is returning to a more comfortable style of play and skill level and will have the surrounding talent to produce and chase a Gagarin Cup every year. Once his current deal is over in 2025, it is doubtful that a then-31-year-old Lehtonen will try to return to the NHL.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Yegor Chinakhov

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are off to a hot start this season. The team, which faces few expectations this season, has opened the season with an 8-2 drubbing of the Arizona Coyotes and a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Max Domi are currently among the top-ten scorers in the league and Elvis Merzlikins is 2-0 with a .948 save percentage and 1.47 GAA.  Now, they’re about to get even better.

The Blue Jackets have announced this morning that top prospect Yegor Chinakhov has been recalled from the AHL – and after just one game. The skilled Russian forward is in his first season in North America after recording 10 goals and 17 points in 32 games in his first full KHL season in 2020-21, followed up by five goals and seven points in 21 playoff games en route to a Gagarin Cup title. He was right back at it in his AHL debut, scoring a goal for the Cleveland Monsters in an opening night win. The Blue Jackets have apparently seen enough to try the young forward out at the NHL level and it would not be a surprise to see the dynamic young talent stick on a Columbus roster that is trying to rebuild while staying relevant.

Chinakhov, 20, is already a remarkable story and a testament to Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen and his scouting staff, so it would not be a surprise to see him continue to find success. The No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Chinakov was a much-maligned selection as a relatively unheralded overage prospect. Considered the biggest surprise of the first round, Chinakhov’s name first gained attention for the wrong reasons. He quickly changed the narrative last season, earning a full-time role with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk and not only taking home a championship, but also Rookie of the Year honors with top numbers across the board for U-20 players. Now he is not only a pro in North America in just his second season after being drafted, but preparing for his NHL debut. The perception of Chinakhov has changed dramatically, but he is still playing with a chip on his shoulder and ready to reward Columbus for their faith in him, hopefully for years to come for a franchise that desperately needs loyal, homegrown talent.

AHL Shuffle: 10/17/21

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The NHL is back, taxi squads are gone, and minor league moves are again a major piece of day-to-day roster management. Keep up with all the recalls and reassignments of the day right here:

Atlantic Division

  • After using a local college goalie on an amateur tryout as their backup last night to replace the sidelined Petr Mrazek, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now eligible to use an emergency recall that puts them over the salary cap upper limit. The team has worked quickly to recall veteran Michael Hutchinson from the AHL Marlies. The Leafs are back in action tomorrow night against the New York Rangers.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have demoted defenseman Nick Seeler to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. This move is likely a precursor to off-season addition Rasmus Ristolainen’s debut for the Flyers; Ristolainen was unavailable to begin the year with an upper-body injury. Seeler himself is also a new face if Philly and did not play at all in 2020-21 but played well in his third pair role in the season opener.
  • Pierre-Olivier Joseph is headed back to the AHL, his third such exchange already this season. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that the young defender has been reassigned for the second time in the early campaign. Joseph was cut from training camp and assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, only to be recalled on Wednesday and now heading back already. Joseph could be tested as an up-and-down player from much of the season, but once he shows he can be consistent for the Penguins despite this constant shuffle then he could be in line for a more permanent role.

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • A trio of players have been shuttled from the Vegas Golden Knights to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, the farm team announced. The group includes Peyton Krebs, Jake Leschyshyn, and Jonas Rondbjerg. Chalk this move up to schedule management for some key young (and waiver-exempt) forwards, as Vegas does not play again until Wednesday.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Simon Benoit from the AHL, while sending down Greg Pateryn, Lukas Dostal, and Roman Durny. Despite clearing waivers, Derek Grant was not among those assigned to the San Diego Gulls.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Minor Transactions: 10/15/21

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With the AHL getting going this weekend, some players are signing contracts in the minors to make sure they have a spot to play.  Here’s a rundown of some of those recent moves plus an update on a Colorado player currently overseas.

  • The Rangers have inked veteran forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie to an AHL tryout. The 35-year-old is no stranger to the minors, playing in 629 games over parts of 13 seasons while recording over 1,100 penalty minutes.  Labrie last saw NHL action with Tampa Bay back in 2013-14 and spent the last two seasons in Germany with Eisbaren Berlin.
  • The Flames aren’t ready to send Ryan Francis back to junior yet as their affiliate in Stockton announced that they’ve inked the 19-year-old to a tryout agreement. Francis was Calgary’s fifth-round pick (143rd overall) in 2019 and had 50 points in 32 games last season in the QMJHL.  As he turns 20 before December 31st, Francis is eligible to play in the AHL this season.
  • Vladislav Kamenev is on the move in the KHL as CSKA Moscow announced they’ve signed the winger to a one-year deal. His rights continue to be held by the Avalanche as an unsigned restricted free agent as the 25-year-old last suited up in the NHL back in 2019-20.  A strong showing in Moscow could get him back on the NHL radar if he wanted to try playing in North America again.
  • Tobias Rieder’s previously-rumored deal in the SHL is now official, per an announcement from Vaxjo. The 31-year-old has inked a one-year deal with the Lakers after spending last season with Buffalo where he had five goals and two assists in 44 games.

Mark Jankowski Signs AHL Contract With Buffalo

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If Mark Jankowski wants to make it back to the NHL, he’ll be going through the AHL to do it as Rochester, AHL affiliate of Buffalo, announced that they’ve inked the 27-year-old to a one-year contract.

Jankowski has not been able to live up to his first-round draft billing (21st overall in 2012) and has struggled the last few seasons.  After being non-tendered by Calgary in 2020, the center quickly signed with Pittsburgh, inking a one-year deal for the league minimum.  The move made plenty of sense on paper as a still relatively unproven player with a bit of upside hoping that a change of scenery would get him going.

However, that didn’t really happen.  Jankowski managed just 11 points (4-7-11) in 45 games last season while playing almost exclusively on the fourth line.  Even though his qualifying offer was only for the minimum this season ($750K), the Penguins opted to non-tender him again, avoiding arbitration in the process.  Unable to secure a guaranteed deal, Jankowski signed a training camp tryout with New Jersey but wasn’t able to land a contract with them either.

Evidently, an NHL two-way offer wasn’t available either which has led Jankowski to the AHL and the Americans.  It will be his first extended action in the minors since 2016-17 when he had 27 goals and 29 assists with Stockton.  This will also be Jankowski’s first real opportunity to play an offensive role in the top six since that season as well and he’s clearly banking that a good showing with Rochester will bolster his shot at landing an NHL contract somewhere either later this season or next summer.

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