Minor Transactions: 11/23/21
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
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
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.
Clark Bishop Clears Waivers
Nov 22: Bishop has cleared waivers according to Friedman, and can be assigned to the minor leagues if the team chooses to do so.
Nov 21: Ottawa Senators forward Clark Bishop is finally coming back from injury, but could he also be headed elsewhere? Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Bishop has been placed on waivers today by the Senators. This move comes as Bishop is activated from the Season-Opening Injured Reserve, having suffered a lower-body injury in training camp.
Bishop, 25, is a serviceable depth forward with 38 NHL games and over 200 AHL games under his belt in six pro seasons. The Senators acquired Bishop from the Carolina Hurricanes in January in exchange for defenseman Maxime Lajoie. While Lajoie has remained in the AHL and has yet to play for Carolina, Bishop got into 13 games with Ottawa last season and earned a one-year contract extension. The Senators clearly like the hard-working forward and may not even send him to the minors if he does clear waivers.
That is a significant “if” though. Young bottom-six forwards have moved around frequently on waivers so far this season and Bishop could be the next in line. Though not a scoring option, Bishop is a good defensive center who could plug into a fourth line role for a team facing injuries or depth concerns in their bottom six.
AHL Shuffle: 11/22/21
Six games are on the schedule for this evening, including the return of the Ottawa Senators after being shut down the last week with a COVID outbreak. The team has traveled to Colorado to take on the Avalanche but will be basically in a bubble according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Ottawa was the first team to have games postponed after seeing ten players enter the COVID protocol. As they and others prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
Pacific Division
- The Vancouver Canucks have assigned Travis Hamonic to the AHL once again, as they prepare to go on a road trip through the U.S. Hamonic’s does not yet qualify as fully vaccinated, though he will be soon after recently receiving his second shot. Still, with quarantine rules how they are, he’ll most likely miss the next three games and join the team in Montreal when they face the Canadiens on November 29.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Scott Reedy from the AHL, after his blistering start with the Barracuda. The 22-year-old forward has eight goals and 12 points in 12 games in what is his first full professional season.
- The Los Angeles Kings have returned Sean Durzi to the AHL, which could be nothing more than a paper transaction between games. The Kings don’t play again until Wednesday, meaning there is time to save a bit of cap space by moving Durzi off the roster in the meantime. The 23-year-old defenseman is still waiting to make his NHL debut after recording 13 points in 12 games for the Ontario Reign to start the year.
This page will be updated throughout the day
AHL Shuffle: 11/21/21
The NHL has typically lined up light Sunday schedules in the first half of the season, but the 2021-22 campaign has been different. The league is back at it today with seven games on the docket to follow up a dozen on Saturday. With some teams having to make changes on the fly for games today while others react to yesterday’s results or prepare for the week ahead, it could be a busy day for roster moves. Keep up with the shuffle right here:
Atlantic Division
- One of an elite group, former Seattle Kraken forward Alex Barre-Boulet is back up with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team announced. Barre-Boulet was re-claimed on waivers last month after suiting up for the Kraken in a pair of games earlier this season before hitting the wire again. Barre-Boulet has three points in seven games with Tampa so far this season, matching his total in 15 games last season.
- The Montreal Canadiens have returned goaltender Cayden Primeau to the AHL, which implies that either Jake Allen or Carey Price are nearing a return to action. Primeau, who was recalled after Allen’s injury, started two games for the Habs but lost both with eight goals allowed on 65 shots. He heads back to the Laval Rocket for more seasoning.
- Winger Joey Anderson is back up with the Toronto Maple Leafs, as tweeted by the team today. Anderson’s yet to suit up for the big club this season, but he’s tallied four goals and an assist in 11 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies in 2021-22.
Metropolitan Division
- With his conditioning stint complete, defenseman Libor Hajek has been recalled by the New York Rangers. The question remains whether the once-promising prospect is now ready to get back into the NHL lineup – or if he will even be afforded that opportunity. It seems more probable than not that the next time Hajek plays for a team other than the Rangers, it won’t be the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack but instead another organization.
- Just a day after sending him down to the Hershey Bears, Brett Leason is back up with the Washington Capitals today. In a corresponding move, the team re-assigned center Garrett Pilon to Hershey, per a team release. Leason, who has three points in 10 games, was sent down to make room for T.J. Oshie and Nic Dowd to come off injured reserve.
Central Division
- Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Minnesota Wild have recalled top defense prospect Calen Addison to fill in for captain Jared Spurgeon who was injured in Saturday’s match-up with the Florida Panthers. Although the Wild will continue their sunshine state swing with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning this evening, Russo expects that Addison will arrive from AHL Iowa in time to suit up. Addison scored his first NHL goal earlier this season in a brief two-game recall.
- The Dallas Stars recalled forward Tanner Kero from Texas today, sending down Riley Tufte to complete the swap, per The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf. Kero’s got two assists in seven games with the big club this year, and he’ll now get a chance to add to those totals.
Pacific Division
- After a short stint at the top level, Daniil Miromanov is returning to the AHL. The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that the big, offensive defenseman has been reassigned to the Henderson Silver Knights, where he has seven points in 11 games this season. The former KHL standout has not looked out of place in three NHL games this year.
- The Anaheim Ducks recalled forwards Bo Groulx and Vinni Lettieri from the San Diego Gulls today, per a team release. Both have already spent time up in Anaheim this season, Groulx especially. The 21-year-old rookie has
AHL Shuffle: 11/20/21
It’s another busy Saturday across the NHL with 24 teams in action today so it should be an active day on the transactions front as well. We’ll keep track of today’s roster movement here.
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
- The Islanders have recalled winger Richard Panik plus defensemen Grant Hutton and Paul LaDue, reports Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). Forward Andy Andreoff has also been recalled. Those promotions were needed with the recent injury to Ryan Pulock plus the placements of Anders Lee and Ross Johnston in COVID protocol. New York will finally play their first home game of the season following a whopping 13-game road trip to start while the finishing touches on UBS Arena were put in place.
- In response to T.J. Oshie and Nic Dowd being activated from injured reserve today, the Washington Capitals assigned forward Brett Leason to the Hershey Bears. In his first ten NHL games, all this season, Leason has two goals and one assist after Washington picked him up in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Central Division
Pacific Division
- The Sharks have recalled center Noah Gregor and winger Jeffrey Viel, per the AHL’s transactions log. Gregor played in 30 NHL games with San Jose last season and had five goals but has yet to play with the Sharks this season. Viel, meanwhile, was recently activated off SOIR and played his first game with the Barracuda last night. He played in 11 NHL contests in 2020-21 where he had 23 penalty minutes. Lane Pederson was placed on IR in a corresponding move.
- A day after sending him back to Henderson, the Golden Knights have recalled defenseman Daniil Miromanov, the team announced (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has an assist in three games with Vegas this season but has been more productive with the Silver Knights, recording seven points in 11 contests.
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Justin Bailey Clears Waivers
Nov 19: Bailey has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the AHL.
Nov 18: The Vancouver Canucks have placed Justin Bailey on waivers, along with designating him for assignment. That means they clear the roster spot immediately, but Bailey will have to be assigned to the AHL should he clear tomorrow.
Now 26, Bailey has played in ten games this season for the Canucks but does not yet have a point. Originally a second-round pick by the Buffalo Sabres, to this point in his career he hasn’t been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL option. In the minor leagues Bailey is a top-level scorer, with 28 goals in 53 games during the 2019-20 campaign, but so far that hasn’t translated to the higher level. In his 78 career games, the 6’4″ forward has just five goals and nine points.
With Tyler Motte back in action, the team was carrying 14 forwards and were pushed right up against the cap. Sending Bailey’s league-minimum contract down would open up a roster spot and some cap space, perhaps letting them bring Jack Rathbone back up to join the defensive group.
There’s a chance he could be claimed, but with so many other forwards passing through waivers without a problem, Bailey seems like a safe bet to be assigned to Abbotsford tomorrow.
AHL Shuffle: 11/19/21
In typical Friday fashion, the NHL has just a pair of games on tap as teams prepare for a busy weekend. While there will certainly be fans watching to see if the Vancouver Canucks can show any semblance of structure, the focus of many will be on tomorrow night’s action. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling that happens ahead of the weekend.
Atlantic Division
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have assigned Alex Barre-Boulet to the AHL, confirming that the Lightning were the only team to claim him last time around. The team does not need to send him through waivers again after reclaiming him from the Seattle Kraken last month.
Metropolitan Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have returned Kevin Stenlund to the minors, dropping the team to just 12 active forwards at the moment. That certainly could change by tomorrow’s game, which will see them face off against the Golden Knights.
Central Division
- The Nashville Predators have sent Cole Smith back to the Milwaukee Admirals without him actually seeing any game action on this recall. The 26-year-old still has just one game under his belt at the NHL level, and is waiting for his first career point.
Pacific Division
- Jason Gregor of TSN reports that Philip Broberg is on his way to the Edmonton Oilers, adding that Darnell Nurse has suffered an injury and could miss several weeks. The team has not confirmed the injury at this point, but obviously, losing Nurse would be a huge blow.
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Sean Durzi from the AHL, sending Austin Strand down in his place. Durzi, 23, has been on fire for the Ontario Reign this season, posting 13 points in 12 games. The second-round pick from 2018 has yet to make his NHL debut.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent Benoit-Olivier Groulx back to the AHL for the time being, after suiting up for 15 games with the team this season. The 21-year-old has just three points in his rookie season and had been a healthy scratch recently.
- The San Jose Sharks have assigned Nicholas Merkley to the AHL, as they activate Jeffrey Viel from injured reserve. Viel hasn’t played a game yet this season and is still looking for his first NHL point.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Sven Baertschi and Daniil Miromanov back to the AHL, suggesting someone will be available tomorrow when they face the Blue Jackets.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Cole Caufield Recalled From AHL
When Cole Caufield was sent to the AHL at the beginning of November, it was never meant to be for long. The young Montreal Canadiens forward has made his way back to the NHL, recalled today. To make room, Alex Belzile has been assigned to the Laval Rocket.
Caufield put on a show yesterday for Laval in a victory over the Toronto Marlies, recording nine shots, scoring once during regulation, and again in the shootout. Overall in six games for the Rocket, he tallied five points and 24 shots on goal. His demotion was mostly about confidence, and seeing a spark of that high-flying offensive ability again seems like it was enough for the Canadiens to bring him back up.
Of course, he’s not returning to a better situation in the NHL. The Canadiens have lost their last three games and are only ahead of the last-place Ottawa Senators in the Atlantic Division because they’ve played three more games. The team has the second-worst goal differential in the entire NHL at -23 and has a 4-12-2 record overall. A huge reason for that is a lack of goal scoring, which Caufield should help, but he’s certainly not coming into a positive situation.
The Canadiens will welcome in the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, a game that will likely see Caufield make his return to the lineup. Through the ten games he played before his stint in the AHL, he had just a single point.