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AHL Shuffle: 11/28/21

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Sunday in the NHL will bring some more afternoon action, with two top-tier matchups just a few hours from now. The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes do battle for the Metropolitan Division lead, while the Central-leading Minnesota Wild take on the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Four more games will follow this evening, including the reeling Vancouver Canucks trying to find any sort of positive. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the day’s minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The St. Louis Blues have moved Klim Kostin to injured reserve, recalling Logan Brown from the AHL in his place. Brown, acquired from the Ottawa Senators before the season began, has been excellent at the minor league level with 17 points in 19 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds. Kostin meanwhile is headed to LTIR, meaning he’ll have to miss a minimum of ten games and 24 days.

Pacific Division

  • After a one-day stint in the minors, Benoit-Olivier Groulx is back up with the Anaheim Ducks, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Groulx has played in 16 games with Anaheim so far this season but they have been trying to get him into AHL contests here and there to get him some extra playing time.

This page will be updated throughout the day

AHL Shuffle: 11/27/21

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It’s a lighter Saturday than usual around the league following a busy Friday but there are still 18 teams in action today which should result in some roster moves throughout the day.  We’ll keep track of those here.

Atlantic Division

  • Parker Kelly is on his way back to the minors as the team announced (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old has been sent back to AHL Belleville.  Kelly – who signed a two-year extension last month – has been up and down this season, getting into 11 games with Ottawa plus five more in the AHL.
  • The Panthers have brought up forward Aleksi Heponiemi from AHL Charlotte, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 22-year-old is off to a decent start to his season with 11 points in 17 games with the Checkers.  Heponiemi played in nine games with Florida last season, collecting a goal and an assist while logging just over 12 minutes a game.  WPLG’s David Dwork notes that Aleksander Barkov was transferred to IR to open a spot for Heponiemi’s recall.
  • The Lightning have activated center Odeen Tufto from season-opening IR and assigned him to AHL Syracuse, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 24-year-old finished second in NCAA scoring last season with 47 points in 29 games with Quinnipiac and got into his first four professional games late last season.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they have assigned winger Fabian Zetterlund back to AHL Utica. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last week and has played in three games in New Jersey but logged just 4:49 on Wednesday.  With Nathan Bastian returning after being claimed on waivers, Zetterlund can return to the Comets where he was off to a nice start offensively with nine points in his first ten games.
  • Forward Max Willman is back up with the Philadelphia Flyers, per a team tweet. Willman was added to the active roster in place of the injured Patrick Brown, who was moved to injured reserve today. Willman is pointless in his first six NHL games.

Central Division

 

Pacific Division

  • The Golden Knights announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned winger Jake Leschyshyn to Henderson of the AHL.  Leschyshyn has largely been a regular for Vegas this season, suiting up in 18 games while picking up a goal and three assists.  The move brings them down to just 11 forwards on their active roster which suggests they will soon be getting someone back.
  • The Kraken have recalled center Riley Sheahan from Charlotte of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 29-year-old cleared waivers earlier this month after recording just three points in 14 games with Seattle and got into four games with the Checkers where he picked up a goal and an assist.  He’ll take the place of defenseman Mark Giordano on the active roster after he was placed in COVID protocol on Friday.
  • The Ducks have returned centers Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Vinni Lettieri to San Diego of the AHL, per a team release. Groulx has seen regular minutes with Anaheim, playing in 16 games in his rookie season although he only has three points to show for it.  Meanwhile, Lettieri has suited up three times with the Ducks, collecting a goal and an assist.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

AHL Shuffle: 11/26/21

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After a day off across the league on Thursday, the NHL is back on the ice for a whopping 13 games today beginning at 2pm CT through 9:30pm CT, with games starting almost every hour. With a full day of hockey often come a full day of roster tweaks as well. Keep up with all the recalls and reassignments right here:

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Sean Day from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, potentially affording the gifted defenseman his first NHL opportunity. At one time considered such a special prospect that he was given “exceptional player status” to join the OHL a year early, Day has somewhat underwhelmed ever since. A third-round draft pick with pedestrian numbers in the junior and minor league ranks, it seemed like the OHL missed the mark on labeling Day as an elite talent. However, with ten points in 15 games for the Crunch this season, Day is finally starting to look the part. Could the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have a late bloomer on their hands?
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Brett Murray from the AHL, moving Drake Caggiula to injured reserve to make room. Murray, a fourth-round pick from 2016, has scored six goals in nine minor league games this season.

Metropolitan Division

  • Though an inspiring story of perseverance from an under-recruited high school prospect from Cape Cod to an injury-prone NCAA graduate transfer to an ECHL contract then an AHL contract and now an NHL contract, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Max Willman belongs in the NHL just yet. The hard-working forward has been returned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms following a fruitless first NHL recall, the Philadelphia Flyers announced. In his place, the team has recalled forward Connor Bunnaman. 

Central Division

Pacific Division

 

Patrick Harper Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Nov 25: Harper has cleared waivers according to Friedman, meaning a contract termination could soon follow.

Nov 24: In addition to Nathan Bastian, who was placed on regular waivers today, Nashville Predators minor league forward Patrick Harper is on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Harper’s contract will likely be terminated, should he clear waivers.

The 23-year-old forward has played in nine games with the Milwaukee Admirals this season, failing to score a single point. A fifth-round draft pick in 2016, he is in the final season of a two-year, entry-level contract signed in 2020 after his college career came to an end. During that contract, he’s played just 24 games at the AHL level, with just two points (and no goals) to show for it.

A two-time member of the U.S. World Junior team, Harper’s size is his limiting factor at the professional level. The 5’7″ forward was a dynamic offensive player at Boston University, but that production hasn’t carried over to the AHL.

If he does see his contract terminated, Harper would become an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any NHL team, though usually in these cases a contract has already been worked out overseas.

AHL Shuffle: 11/25/21

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Happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S., though it certainly won’t be much of a celebration for some hockey fans. The NHL has no games scheduled for today, as they defer to the NFL’s all-day coverage. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean front offices are empty today, and like always we’ll keep track of any minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • Adam Ruzicka won’t be attending the Stockton Heat thanksgiving party, as he has been recalled to the Calgary Flames. The team announced that Brad Richardson’s absence from practice is just a maintenance day, but they’ll have the young Ruzicka join them anyway. Now 22, the 2017 fourth-round pick has been dominant in the minor leagues this season, scoring ten goals in 13 games with Stockton.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have loaned Vinni Lettieri back to the San Diego Gulls, after he failed to get into a game on this recall. The 26-year-old forward has played just three games this season for Anaheim, recording two points.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent forwards Paul Cotter, Ben Jones, and Jonas Rondbjerg to the Henderson Silver Knights, per CapFriendly (all Twitter links).  All three have been sent back and forth throughout the season and at least some of them will likely be brought back up over the coming days.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Ivan Lodnia Signs AHL Contract

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Usually, when a player is put on unconditional waivers and their contract terminated, they end up signing overseas to continue their career far away from the NHL. In the case of Ivan Lodnia, something very different has happened. The young forward, who recently saw his deal with the Minnesota Wild terminated, has signed an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves.

This is still a step up for the 22-year-old forward, as the Wild had assigned him to the ECHL to start the season. Lodnia refused to report to the Iowa Heartlanders, earning a suspension from the team instead. Now he’ll at least get the chance to play in the AHL, where he can showcase himself for another NHL organization.

Notably, the Wolves are an independent minor league team, meaning that though they are affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes they can also make decisions like this for themselves. The team obviously sees the value in bringing in the 2017 third-round pick, though Lodnia has not shown much at that level to this point. In 2020-21, he was loaned to Dynamo Minsk of the KHL, where he had just one goal and seven points in 27 games. Prior to that, he had played six professional games, failing to record a point.

A solid two-way winger, early in his CHL career Lodnia was stuck behind a very talented Erie Otters forward group but still managed to put up strong production. Still, even once he was traded to Niagara and given more offensive minutes, his scoring never really exploded to a level that would draw a ton of notice from NHL fans. There’s plenty of time for him to figure out how to be a successful pro, given he turned 22 just a few months ago and he’ll now take on that challenge in Chicago.

AHL Shuffle: 11/24/21

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With nothing happening tomorrow because of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the schedule is packed full of action tonight across the NHL. Twenty-eight of the 32 will be in action, including as of now, the New York Islanders who are still dealing with a serious COVID outbreak. As they and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • After moving Troy Stecher to injured reserve, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled Dan Renouf from the minor leagues to take his place. Stecher is expected to be out through the Olympic break, meaning there will be quite an opportunity for someone like Renouf to earn some NHL action.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Fredrik Claesson to the AHL, after he played a few games with the club. Claesson failed to score a point in three appearances, though he averaged fewer than 11 minutes of ice time.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Beck Malenstyn and Michael Sgarbossa from the minor leagues, after clearing some room on the roster yesterday. Sgarbossa especially is off to a nice start to the season with 14 points in 15 games with the Hershey Bears.
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Morgan Frost is expected to join the Philadelphia Flyers in Florida, where they face the Panthers tonight. Frost has 15 points in 16 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year, after failing to make the Flyers out of camp.
  • With the New York Islanders still missing a huge number of regulars, Otto Koivula has been recalled from the AHL. To make room for him under the cap ceiling, Ryan Pulock has been moved to long-term injured reserve.

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators have sent Michael McCarron to the AHL, along with Ben Harpur who is going down on a conditioning loan. The pair will likely be in the Milwaukee Admirals lineup for their game against Grand Rapids tonight.

Pacific Division

  • The Calgary Flames have returned Walker Duehr to the minor leagues, ten days after he made his NHL debut. It was actually the young forward’s 24th birthday yesterday, but as a present, he’ll have to report back to the Stockton Heat and continue his season in the AHL.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Minor Transactions: 11/23/21

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Once the hockey season kicks into full gear, few transactions outside of NHL trades, claims, recalls, and reassignments garner much attention from the masses. Yet, some notable moves in other league do continue throughout the year. A handful have taken place today in fact:

  • The rare AHL trade has not been as uncommon so far this season, as the third trade of the season has been completed. As the narrative of the Senators’ poor organizational depth on the blue line continues to be an issue for both Ottawa and Belleville, the farm team brought in some help today. The AHL Senators announced that they have acquired defenseman Jack Dougherty from the Providence Bruins in exchange for future considerations. Dougherty is a name familiar to fans in Belleville, having played for the team the past two seasons. He only played one game with Providence this season, so his usage could have just as much to do with the deal to send him back to Belleville as does the Senators’ own needs. Dougherty, 25, was a second round pick of the Nashville Predators back in 2014 and a standout for both the U.S. National Team Development Program and in the WHL for the Portland Winterhawks. While he never panned out, with no NHL experience to speak of, Dougherty has settled nicely into a role as a useful, two-way defenseman in the AHL.
  • Sometimes very capable pros slip through the cracks in the off-season and are forced to settle for ECHL contracts and the hopes of proving on AHL injury loans that they can still play at a high level. Such is the case for goaltender Jon Gillies and forward Nick Lappin, who have both joined the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on PTO’s today, on loan from their respective ECHL clubs. Gillies, 27, was on a PTO this fall with the New York Islanders that did not result in a contract. His time with the Maine Mariners has actually been spent mostly with their AHL parent club, the Providence Bruins, where he posted stellar numbers in three games, but again without a new contract in the end. The accomplished collegiate goalie and experienced pro is hoping Lehigh Valley finally takes notice of his ability and rewards him with an AHL deal. Lappin is hoping for the same result from his time with the Phantoms. The 29-year-old forward is not the same player he was as a regular call-up of the New Jersey Devils for several years, but also hasn’t had the chance to play a complete season in the past two years. Lappin will try to take advantage of this AHL opportunity to show he still plays with the same physicality and grit and that his scoring touch is not lost.
  • In a quirk of the transfer process in Switzerland’s National League, former NHLer Chris DiDomenico has already signed a new contract… with a different team… for next year. The 32-year-old journeyman has signed a two-year deal with SC Bern, but first will complete the current season with HC Fribourg-Gotteron in a strange arrangement. DiDomenico actually made his name initially in Switzerland (and Italy) from 2012 to 2017 before signing with the Ottawa Senators. When he left North America after two seasons with the Sens, he returned immediately to Switzerland and started producing at an elite level once again. As dangerous as he looks this season with Fribourg, tallying 26 points in his first 24 games, he could be even better next year in Bern with fellow former NHLers Cory Conacher, Kaspars Daugavins, and Dominik Kahun.

AHL Shuffle: 11/23/21

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Three games on the schedule this evening, one of the more quiet Tuesdays of the year for the NHL. That includes Connor McDavid looking to extend his 17-game point streak to start the year, as he tries to chase down teammate Leon Draisaitl for the league lead in points. As the Oilers and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • Kyle Clifford has been recalled by the Toronto Maple Leafs, who sent Joey Anderson back to the AHL in his place. The veteran forward was acquired from the Blues earlier this month and suited up for a pair of minor league games over the weekend. The two-time Stanley Cup winner could get into the lineup against his old team when Toronto faces Los Angeles tomorrow, though he skated as an extra today at practice.

Metropolitan Division

  • The New Jersey Devils are sending Alexander Holtz back to the AHL, recalling Chase De Leo in his place. De Leo has 14 points in eight games with the Utica Comets this season, leading them in scoring through the early part of the year. Holtz meanwhile was unable to record his first NHL goal in six games, posting two points in that time.
  • The Washington Capitals have sent Axel Jonsson-Fjallby to the minor leagues, after eight games with the big club. The 23-year-old forward has one assist on the season, but did look like he could be a useful bottom-six player because of his top-end speed.

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators have sent Mathieu Olivier to the AHL, after he played just 9:35 in his last game and then served as a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old has played in five games this season and has one point.

Pacific Division

  • As expected, Sean Durzi has been recalled again by the Los Angeles Kings. The team sent him down temporarily to accrue some extra cap savings between games. Durzi is still waiting for his NHL debut.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Seth Jarvis To Burn First Year Of ELC

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Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed to reporters today including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that Seth Jarvis will play tonight, meaning he will burn the first year of his entry-level contract this season.

Jarvis, as we examined yesterday, is one of a handful of junior-aged players to get a chance at the NHL level this year. Unlike some of the other young forwards who played in the AHL last season though, Jarvis isn’t eligible to go to the minor leagues because he suited up for just nine games. Had he crossed the 20-game threshold like some of his OHL counterparts, he wouldn’t need to return to the WHL at all.

But the WHL–specifically the Portland Winterhawks–is the only other place for Jarvis to go, if the NHL wasn’t going to keep him around. Given how well he played in the AHL during that nine-game stop, and the fact that he has four goals and five points in nine NHL games, it seems unlikely that going back to junior would do anything for the 19-year-old forward.

After tonight, when his ELC officially kicks in, the next question will be whether the Hurricanes play Jarvis for 40 games this season. That would take him a year toward unrestricted free agency, sometimes a threshold that teams consider more important for young players. At any rate, if the team believes he’s one of the 12 forwards that can help them win, it seems likely that the Hurricanes will put him in the lineup. This team has Stanley Cup aspirations and are proving just how dangerous they are with a 14-2 record through the first 16 games.

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