Minor Transactions: 05/19/21
With the playoffs underway for almost everyone, the taxi squad shuffle has ended. The unique season that saw more daily transactions than ever before is coming to an end, hopefully never to return. Still, there are going to be some moves from teams preparing for their first-round matchups, or players signing overseas. We’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Martin Marincin from the AHL, giving them another defenseman while Ben Hutton deals with a non-COVID illness. The Maple Leafs will start their first-round series tomorrow and appear to have Zach Bogosian healthy and ready to return to the lineup.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled their “Black Aces,” bringing up Calen Addison, Louis Belpedio, Matthew Boldy, Connor Dewar, Brandon Duhaime and Hunter Jones from the AHL. Boldy, the 12th overall pick from 2019, made the transition from college hockey to pro seamlessly this season, stepping into a major role with the Iowa Wild and scoring 18 points in 14 games. The 20-year-old should be a contender for a full-time roster spot next season, but doesn’t appear to be getting a look this postseason (at least not yet).
- The Calgary Flames brought up Matthew Phillips for their season finale against Vancouver, per his agency Roy Hockey Group. The 23-year-old has spent the last three seasons with Stockton of the AHL but hadn’t had an NHL opportunity until today.
- On the other end of that game, the Vancouver Canucks brought up Jonah Gadjovich and Kole Lind from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Arturs Silovs was sent back down in a corresponding move. Both wingers have made their NHL debuts in recent weeks but have yet to record a point.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Cody Glass and Dylan Sikura, per CapFriendly. Glass has been in and out of the lineup all season long due to their salary cap troubles, something that isn’t the case now with the regular season now over. As for Sikura, he had two goals in six games this season.
- The Winnipeg Jets have also brought up more “Black Aces”, as CapFriendly reports that Cole Kehler, Nelson Nogier, Joona Luoto, and C.J. Suess were all recalled. All but Kehler have suited up for Winnipeg at some point in their careers but none of those appearances came this season.
Further transactions will be added throughout the day
Anaheim Ducks Send Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale To AHL
The Anaheim Ducks’ young dynamic duo is back in action. The team has announced that recent first-round picks Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, as well as veteran Sam Carrick, have been assigned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls for the Pacific Division postseason tournament. The group combined for 55 points in 58 games in the AHL this season and will provide a major boost to the No. 3 seed.
This move itself is not a surprise; as young players, it is not strange to see Zegras and Drysdale re-assigned to the minors after their NHL seasons ended. Instead, it’s the timing that is curious. The trio have all been out of action for ten days since the Ducks concluded their season back on May 8. Instead of sending them immediately to the Gulls, who still had regular season game remaining, Anaheim held the group at the NHL level, leading to some speculation that perhaps they would not play again this year. However, they have now been sent down with the playoffs beginning. Perhaps the team simply did not want to risk injury for regular season games, but is more willing with postseason glory on the line. Incidentally, the Ducks also save some money by not having paying out AHL contracts to the group over the past week, with playoff participation now coming cost-free.
Zegras and Drysdale getting some extra play time certainly won’t hurt though, as each lost out on some action in their first pro seasons due to shuffling between the NHL and AHL, on top of an already-shortened schedule. Even in a small sample size though, the duo showed emerging star power and became a bright light in a dim season for the Ducks. Zegras, in just 24 games, recorded 13 points to finish among Anaheim’s top nine scoring forwards. The dynamic play-maker was also the Ducks’ best possession player among lineup regulars and posted a team-best +6 rating. Zegras recorded 10 goals and 21 points in 17 AHL games this year and should dominate in the playoffs this year before refocusing on preparing to take on a top-six role for Anaheim next year. Drysdale, meanwhile, also played in 24 games with the Ducks, recording eight points which was third among defensemen. The 18-year-old may have struggled slightly with adjusting to the defensive requirements of competing in the NHL, but still averaged almost 20 minutes of ice time per game. Drysdale only played in 14 games and, like Zegras, looked out of place, recording ten points and skating around the competition.
Zegras and Drysdale are clearly the cornerstones of the Ducks’ current rebuild. Who can blame them for wanting to take another look at their elite ability in action in the Pacific Division postseason. However, it’s 2021-22 and full NHL seasons for the duo that the Ducks and their fans should really be excited about.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Jack Thompson
The Tampa Bay Lightning have put pen to paper with one of the top prospects in their system. Defenseman Jack Thompson has signed his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced. No financial details have been disclosed, but the team did state that the deal does not begin until next season. Thompson got into one game with Tampa’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, playing on an amateur tryout to end his season.
Thompson, 19, is not your typical “top prospect”. A 2020 third-round pick, he probably wouldn’t be considered as such with any other team in the league. However, in Tampa’s pipeline, thin and aging, Thompson was a much-needed addition last year. A high-upside project, Thompson is a bit one-dimensional as a possession defenseman with a good shot but not much in the way of play-making or defensive ability. However, the Bolts can work with his natural ability and good size over the course of this first contract. He’s one of very few young prospects in the system with the capacity and time to grow into much more than what he is now.
Thompson was a point-per-game player in an 18-game stint in the Swedish minors this year, recording 9 goals, 9 assists, and an +9 rating for Surahammars IF. In that short time, he actually ended up finishing first among defenseman in goals and plus/minus. Last season, Thompson played for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, recording 32 points in 63 games; he could wind up back in Sudbury next season as well. Although he got a taste of the pros this yeat, another year of junior would not hurt for the raw prospect.
Thompson was a polarizing prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft, likely due to the fact that he has a narrow skill set but has mastered those skills. Some saw righty blue-liner as a potential early third-round pick while others saw him falling into the later rounds. The Lightning are clearly happy to have snagged him at No. 93 overall and with a constant need to affordable talent at the NHL level for the cap-strapped club, they will be happy to see Thompson continue to take steps forward and broaden his ability into a pro-ready game.
Pavel Shen Clears Unconditional Waivers
May 18: Shen has cleared unconditional waivers and will have his contract terminated.
May 17: The Boston Bruins have placed Pavel Shen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination. Shen has spent the past two seasons with the Providence Bruins of the AHL after signing his entry-level contract in 2019. The young forward had another year left on that contract, but will become an unrestricted free agent when the termination goes through tomorrow.
In what will be Shen’s last AHL game for the Providence Bruins, the 21-year-old forward recorded two points, bringing his season total to just four. Selected 212th overall in 2018 he earned an NHL deal with an impressive performance at the World Juniors but managed to record just 13 points in 51 games for Providence. In all likelihood, Shen is headed back overseas where he can resume his career. Earlier this year, he played six games for HK Sochi in the KHL but failed to score a point.
A termination will clear a contract slot for the Bruins, though they have plenty for next season. The team has just 27 players in the organization signed to NHL contracts for 2021-22, with 12 (13 with Shen) ticketed for unrestricted free agency. There is a fair amount of work for the Boston front office this summer.
Minor Transactions: 05/18/21
With the playoffs underway for almost everyone, the taxi squad shuffle has ended. The unique season that saw more daily transactions than ever before is coming to an end, hopefully never to return. Still, there are going to be some moves from teams preparing for their first-round matchups, or players signing overseas. We’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Connor McMichael, Brett Leason, Paul Ladue, and Alexander Alexeyev from the AHL, though the group won’t be traveling to Boston with the active roster. McMichael especially has a lot of excitement surrounding him after scoring 27 points in 33 games during his first professional season at the AHL. The 20-year-old was the 25th overall pick in 2019 and should compete for a spot on the Capitals roster next season, even if he doesn’t get into any playoff matches this spring.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled some “Black Aces” of their own, bringing Anthony Angello, Kasper Bjorkqvist, Drew O’Connor, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph up from the AHL. Joseph, 21, played 16 games for Pittsburgh earlier this season and showed off his incredible potential, recording five points in the process and helping the team stay above water while nearly their entire defense corps was injured.
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher from their short conditioning stint, bringing them back from the AHL along with Xavier Ouellet. The Canadiens start their series against the Maple Leafs on Thursday night, with Gallagher expected to play in his first NHL game since April 5.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Philip Tomasino from the Chicago Wolves, but he will report to the non-game group for the time being. The top prospect led the Wolves in goals this season and scored 32 points in 29 games. Just 19, he took advantage of the fact that the OHL didn’t play this season and showed what he could do at the professional level.
Further transactions will be added throughout the day.
Philadelphia Flyers Part Ways With Scott Gordon
There is another interesting coaching candidate hitting the market. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they will be parting ways with Scott Gordon, head coach of their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. With Gordon leaving, assistant coach Kerry Huffman has also decided to step down from his role. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher released a statement on the decision:
I would like to thank Scott and Kerry for their service to the organization. Both Scott and Kerry have dedicated their time and effort in developing Flyers prospects and bringing success to Lehigh Valley over the last several years. In speaking with each of them, we felt this was best for the future direction of the organization.
The departure of Gordon from the Flyers organization is a surprising one and may suggest that he has an opportunity somewhere else around the league. The 58-year-old coach is very well respected in the NHL and has led the Phantoms since 2015. In 2018-19 he served as interim head coach for the Flyers, and previously was the head coach of the New York Islanders. He also was head coach of the U.S. World Championship squad three times and assisted at both the Olympics and World Cup in the past.
That’s a long impressive resume for Gordon, whose name has been discussed in regards to vacancies around the league before. With several NHL teams rebuilding their whole staff this offseason, expect his name to be brought up once again.
Minor Transactions: 05/17/21
With the playoffs underway for almost everyone, the taxi squad shuffle has ended. The unique season that saw more daily transactions than ever before is coming to an end, hopefully never to return. Still, there are going to be some moves from teams preparing for their first round matchups, or players signing overseas. We’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Mac Hollowell and Scott Sabourin to the AHL, where they can play in the last few games of the season for the Toronto Marlies. The Maple Leafs are expected to be near full health when their series starts on Thursday, with Zach Bogosian, Riley Nash, and Zach Hyman all shedding no-contract sweaters lately. Interestingly, the Marlies will take on the Laval Rocket this evening, meaning Hollowell and Sabourin will be against Brendan Gallagher and Carey Price, who are on conditioning stints with the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate.
- The Winnipeg Jets have dissolved their taxi squad, recalling Mikhail Berdin, Eric Comrie, Dylan Samberg, Marko Dano, David Gustafsson, Dominic Toninato and Kristian Vesalainen to the active roster. These “Black Aces” aren’t expected to go into the lineup (or at least not usually) but will practice with the team throughout the playoffs.
- Former NHL forward Jordan Szwarz has signed a two-year deal with the Mannheim Eagles of the DEL, transitioning from the KHL where he spent last season. The 30-year-old played in 50 games during his long North American career, dominating at the minor league level but failing to ever get a long run in the NHL. This season he recorded 27 points in 51 games for Nizhny Novgorod.
- Chris Bourque, who once suited up for the U.S. at the Olympic Games, has signed a new contract with ERC Ingolstadt in the DEL for the 2021-22 season. The 35-year-old forward (and son of NHL legend Ray Bourque), was an AHL All-Star for years before taking his talents to Germany in 2019. This season he recorded 42 points in 38 games, finishing fourth in league scoring.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Antoine Bibeau, Maxime Lajoie and Ryan Suzuki from the AHL, giving them a few more Black Aces for their upcoming series. Suzuki, 19, scored 10 points in 26 games for the Chicago Wolves this season.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/16/21
With the playoffs underway, the taxi squad shuffle will start to look a little bit different. Instead of constant swapping between the active roster and taxi squad, teams will likely just make mass additions the way they usually recall “Black Aces.” That is, players who will practice with the playoff roster but aren’t expected to actually suit up for any game action. We’ll still keep track of any moves right here:
- With an injury to Vitek Vanecek and no word on the progress of Ilya Samsonov, the Washington Capitals are forced to make a roster move to bring in an extra goaltender in case neither can go. The team therefore, announced they have recalled Zach Fucale from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Fucale, once considered an elite goaltending prospect, had fared quite well in the AHL, posting a 1.80 GAA and a .932 save percentage in 16 appearances.
- Las Vegas Review Journal’s David Schoen reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have activated forward Ryan Reaves from LTIR and is ready to join the lineup in his familiar fourth-line role. Reaves’ numbers haven’t been overly impressive, but the forward brings intimidation that Vegas needs on the ice. The 34-year-old has one goal and five points in 37 games to go with 141 hits. Reaves has missed the last 16 games with an undisclosed injury.
- With their AHL season complete now, the Florida Panthers recalled four players to their NHL squad to serve as Black Aces, including defenseman Chase Priskie, Lucas Carlsson, Vladislav Kolyachonok and John Ludvig, according to FloridaHockeyNow’s George Richards.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled goaltender Alex D’Orio from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, according to PGSportsNow’s Matt Vensel. D’Orio will serve as the emergency third-string goaltender with Casey DeSmith out.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced that goaltender Carey Price and winger Brendan Gallagher have been sent to Laval of the AHL on an LTI conditioning loan. Both players will be in uniform for Monday’s game against Toronto. Price, who is slated to play half the game, will be making his first AHL appearance since 2008 while Gallagher will be seeing his first AHL action since 2013.
- The Buffalo Sabres assigned forward Arttu Ruotsalainen to the minors, per CapFriendly. The move is basically procedural at this point as the rookie is on his way to play for Finland at the World Championships.
- The Calgary Flames have brought up defenseman Connor Mackey plus forwards Dominik Simon and Adam Ruzicka from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. All three players are expected to be in uniform tonight against Vancouver.
- Speaking of Vancouver, the Canucks have recalled Jonah Gadjovich from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The forward will make his NHL debut against Calgary.
- The Edmonton Oilers have brought up forwards Kyle Turris, Tyler Ennis, and Patrick Russell plus defenseman Philip Broberg from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. With their regular season over, they don’t need to carry a taxi squad any longer.
Controversy Surrounds AHL’s Pacific Division Playoffs
The AHL’s Pacific Division is set to get underway with their postseason tournament on Tuesday, but those most crucial to the playoffs don’t actually want to be there: the participants. Agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Sports revealed that the Pacific Division players were surveyed about their thoughts on playing a postseason this year, as all other AHL divisions opted to end their seasons with a simple regular season champion. The result: 133 of 141 responses (over 94%) stated that they did not want to participate in a playoff.
Given the logistical issues of holding a full league postseason this season, the AHL had opted not to award the Calder Cup this year. Instead, they let each division decide how they would handle crowning a champion. With the AHL broken down into small, regional divisions this season due to the Coronavirus, the Pacific was one of five divisions and one of only three with six or more teams. Yet, the other two – the North and Central Divisions – did not decide to extend their seasons with a playoff tournament. Only the Pacific decided to move forward, despite heavy opposition by the players.
The major issue for the players is that they are not paid for postseason participation. This is true for athletes in all North American pro sports, as contracts only cover regular season performance (aside from postseason bonuses), but usually players have something worth fighting for besides money: a league championship. The Calder Cup is not at stake here and clearly the players do not feel that “2020-21 Pacific Division Champion” on their resume is worth the time and effort. Nor the risk. Health is another major concern, as worker’s compensation will not cover any injuries sustained in the postseason.
The players, with valid reasoning and the backing of their players’ association, did not support the Pacific Division postseason. Yet, the teams proceeded with implementing a playoff structure anyhow and one that includes all seven teams playing at least one game at that. To date, no player has backed out. Why? “That’s career suicide,” one AHL player told InsideAHLHockey.com. With contracts pro-rated for the shortened 2020-21, many AHL contract players are already having a difficult time making ends meet financially and cannot risk blacklisting themselves when they are desperately in need of continued employment next season. As for those on NHL contracts, they are not going to go against the wishes of their organization, either because they are also a veteran who needs another contract or they are a young player trying to stay in their team’s good graces to earn opportunity at the top level. The Pacific Division team had all the leverage in this situation and they used, despite the wishes of the lifeblood of the game. If you’re planning to enjoy the upcoming playoff, just keep in mind – no one wants to be there.
Overseas Notes: Lindholm, Bobkov, Vladar
It’s been an interesting season to say the least for forward Par Lindholm. The veteran sought his release from the Boston Bruins back in February and was granted a contract termination, citing his desire to play a more meaningful role than the 15th or 16th forward on the Bruins’ depth chart. His wish for more commitment and standing was granted almost immediately after he left Boston, returning to his former SHL club Skelleftea AIK on a whopping five-year deal. Lindholm played in 11 games down the stretch for Skelleftea, recording nine points, and then added six points in a dozen playoff games for the semifinalist. Lindholm quickly proved to be an invaluable piece for Skelleftea and with a long-term deal in place, it seemed that it would stay that way for some time. Well, that may not be the case. Skelleftea has announced today that Lindholm has exercised a previously unreported “out clause” in his contract to leave the team for the 2021-22 season. The team notes that the remaining four years on his deal do remain valid and they hope he returns to play out his contract. Where Lindholm is off to next that he considers an upgrade to Skelleftea remains unknown; his time in the NHL showed that the league’s teams do not see him as any more than a bottom-six depth player, so remaining in Europe seems likely. A better offer in Sweden or an opportunity in the KHL could have prompted this decision by Lindholm, but only time will tell.
- So much for the Igor Bobkov NHL comeback speculation. Fresh off of a Gagarin Cup title, Bobkov was granted a release from the newly-crowned champs Avangard Omsk on Monday, with the expectation being that he would be looking to test the NHL free agent market this summer. The former Anaheim Ducks top prospect has dominated the KHL for six years running and at 30 years old could still have had appeal in a second try in North America. Instead, another KHL club, Ak Bars Kazan, has inked Bobkov to a one-year deal, putting an end to any NHL possibilities for next season. Why Omsk, who still had Bobkov under contract for one more year, opted to terminate him instead of trade him to Kazan remains a mystery, but regardless the KHL retains one of its very best netminders for at least the 2021-22 campaign.
- Another KHL club has made an interesting move in net, although they may never reap the benefits. Automobilist Yekaterinburg announced today that they have acquired the KHL rights of Boston Bruins goaltender Dan Vladar in exchange for minor league forward Kirill Pilipenko. Vladar would of course be an excellent addition for Yekaterinburg, that is if he ever leaves North America in his pro career. While Jeremy Swayman has overshadowed Vladar in Boston this season, the latter has quietly been one of the very best goalies in the AHL both this season and last. In fact, he held the best save percentage and GAA mark in the AHL in 2019-20. The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by the Bruins back in 2015 and already has five pro seasons under his belt, including three AHL seasons with a .923 save percentage or better. While Vladar’s early NHL results have not been spectacular, that shouldn’t hurt his value as a prospect as compared to his size, composure, and minor league track record. Heading into next season, other teams may even get a chance to show just how much upside they see in Vladar. The young goaltender will lose his waiver exemption in 2021-22 and if, as many expect, the Bruins go with a tandem of re-signed Tuukka Rask and Swayman next year, the team may try to trade Vladar if they don’t think they can sneak him through waivers. Via trade or waiver claim, Vladar could find himself on an NHL roster on a permanent basis beginning next season. If it goes well, Vladar could be on an NHL roster for much of the rest of his career, as opposed to joining Automobilist in the KHL. Things would have to go south in a major way for the young keeper in order for Yekaterinburg to see any returns on this trade in the near future.