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Shayne Gostisbehere Sent To AHL On Conditioning Stint

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The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Shayne Gostisbehere to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a conditioning stint, giving him a chance to get some action while he continues to work his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery. Gostisbehere did play for the Flyers once earlier this month, but has missed the last five as he tries to get back to full strength.

Of course, Gostisbehere’s name has also continually surfaced in trade rumors, at least in part because of the struggles he has had this season. Whether those are due to injury or just a change in system under new head coach Alain Vigneault, the former Calder Trophy finalist hasn’t looked like himself all season.

With just 12 points in 41 games, Gostisbehere is an enigma that the Flyers will need to solve before any playoff run. Whether the end of the maze is a trade out of Philadelphia or a rejuvenated performance, the team can’t afford to have his $4.5MM sitting out or underperforming for long.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Stefan Matteau

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have rewarded one of their minor league forwards, signing Stefan Matteau to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal takes Matteau through the 2020-21 season, and replaces the AHL contract he had been playing in the minor leagues under. PuckPedia reports that the deal carries a cap hit of $725K in the NHL.

Matteau will join the Blue Jackets before Thursday’s game. GM Jarmo Kekalainen explained why he made the deal:

Stefan has played very well while serving in a leadership role with our AHL affiliate in Cleveland this year. He has earned this opportunity and we are excited to see him continue to develop as a member of our organization.

Matteau, 25, settled for a AHL contract after becoming a group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of last season. A first-round pick by the New Jersey Devils in 2012, Matteau never did grow into his potential and has only played 64 games in the NHL. During his tenure in the minor leagues he has been a solid contributor, but his 28 points this year actually set a career-high.

For Columbus, Matteau is just another call-up in an injury riddled season that they’ve somehow managed to navigate. He likely won’t play a major role, but does give them some professional experience in the bottom six.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/20

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Six games are on the schedule for this evening, including an interesting matchup between the division leading Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. It will be a real test for the Oilers without Connor McDavid or Oscar Klefbom, against one of the true Stanley Cup contenders this season. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed John Marino on injured reserve after his recent surgery, meaning they had a spot on the roster for another defenseman. Zach Trotman is that defenseman for now, after he was recalled today from the AHL.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Nicolas Meloche from the AHL to fill Brenden Dillon’s spot, after the veteran was traded yesterday. Meloche has yet to play an NHL game in his young career, but was the 40th overall selection in 2015.
  • Christian Folin has been recalled by the Montreal Canadiens, after Victor Mete left last night’s game with an injury. Folin has played in seven games for the Canadiens this season, recording two points.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Mark Friedman from the minor leagues, giving them another defenseman for tomorrow’s road game in Columbus. Friedman has played five games for the Flyers this season.
  • Glenn Gawdin has been returned to the AHL by the Calgary Flames, who only recalled him two days ago. The 22-year old forward is still waiting to get his first NHL game action.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Evan Bouchard

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The Edmonton Oilers have recalled top prospect Evan Bouchard from the AHL, as they deal with the injury to Oscar Klefbom. Markus Granlund has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, while Klefbom moves to injured reserve.

In 50 games this season with Bakersfield, Bouchard has recorded seven goals and 33 points, easily leading all defenders and trailing only Josh Currie and Tyler Benson for the team scoring lead. The 20-year old defenseman was selected 10th overall by the Oilers in 2018 and played seven NHL contests with them last season before returning to the London Knights of the OHL.

A two-way horse that regularly logged more than 30 minutes in a single game while in junior, the 6’3″ Bouchard’s real upside is in his offensive ability. Though he doesn’t have the same skating ability or puck skills of some other top rookie defensemen like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, his quick decision making and precision passing (even at great distances) can create countless chances for his teammates. His shot has also always been a weapon, including getting him to a 25-goal season in his draft year.

Klefbom is dealing with an injury that will keep him out a few weeks, meaning Bouchard may get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. The question is how many games will he get, as his contract is still slide-eligible. That means if Bouchard plays in fewer than ten games with the Oilers down the stretch his entry-level contract would still not kick in until next season, giving Edmonton another cheap year. Of course, many teams look much more closely at the 40-game threshold that would move a player one year closer to unrestricted free agency, something that Bouchard can no longer hit this season.

Joonas Korpisalo Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been getting Vezina-type goaltending for the last month, but haven’t even had their presumed starter healthy. Elvis Merzlikins took over the net and is performing at an All-Star level, but now the real All-Star, Joonas Korpisalo, is on his way back. Korpisalo, who hasn’t played since the end of December, has been loaned to the AHL for a conditioning stint as he prepares to return to action.

The 25-year old has missed 22 games with a knee injury, but actually wasn’t placed on injured reserve until today. That allowed the Blue Jackets to send a goaltender down on off days to keep them fresh, while Merzlikins handled almost all of the NHL work.

Before his injury, Korpisalo had been playing extremely well. After a shaky start as the No. 1 goaltender in Columbus, he had posted a .932 save percentage over his last month with a 7-2-3 record. That earned him a nomination to the All-Star Game, though he could not attend. In his place, Merzlikins has kept up that incredible play, posting a .924 save percentage in 29 appearances including five shutouts.

When Korpisalo returns, the Blue Jackets will have a tandem with the ability to be one of the best in the league. Whether they decide to let them share the net is unclear, but after such a frustrating season injury-wise, it will be nice to have some added depth at the position.

Kole Sherwood has also been assigned to the Cleveland Monsters.

Buffalo Sabres Suspend Zach Bogosian

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After clearing waivers recently, Zach Bogosian was assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. After failing to report to the minor league team, the Buffalo Sabres have suspended Bogosian indefinitely. While he remains under suspension, Bogosian will forfeit his salary and his entire cap hit will come off the Sabres’ books.

The 29-year old Bogosian is in the final season of the seven-year, $36MM contract he signed with the Winnipeg Jets in 2013 and carries a cap hit of $5.14MM this season. After being made a healthy scratch earlier in the year he had requested a trade, but due to this hefty contract any deal would be difficult for the Sabres to accomplish. Now after several more scratches and an assignment to the minor leagues, it appears that his time with the Sabres’ organization may be over.

The two sides could still come to an agreement of some sort. A mutual contract termination would see Bogosian give up what remains on his deal, but at this point a suspension amounts to the same thing, without an opportunity for him to sign elsewhere. A termination would make Bogosian an unrestricted free agent, though to be eligible for playoff hockey with a new team he would have to sign a contract before the trade deadline.

There is also still a trade option, if the Sabres can find a team willing to take on his contract. That seems unlikely at this point however, given his availability on waivers and the new cap flexibility that this suspension creates for Buffalo.

Bogosian has five points in 19 games this season for the Sabres.

Zach Fucale Released From AHL Contract, Signs In Germany

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The long and winding career of Zach Fucale will now take the goaltender overseas, as today the Syracuse Crunch released him from his AHL contract in order for him to sign with Munich in the DEL. Fucale had spent most of the season in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears, but will now head to Germany to follow a new opportunity.

Fucale, 24, was originally selected 36th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, but despite his promising junior career things haven’t gone to plan at the professional level. After his entry-level contract with the Canadiens ended in 2018 with him in the ECHL, the organization decided not to issue him a qualifying offer. The Vegas Golden Knights gave him another chance with a one-year two-way deal in 2018-19, but he once again spent more time in the low minors and actually struggled during his time with the Fort Wayne Komets.

Another non-qualified summer awaited him, and now after posting a .928 save percentage in 24 appearances with the Solar Bears he’ll head overseas. Fucale has been a staple for Team Canada in international competitions for some time, winning a World Junior gold medal in 2015 and two Spengler Cups over the last few years. If the NHL fails to go to the Olympics again in 2022, you can bet he’ll be on Canada’s radar as a potential option in net.

Ottawa Senators Claim Jayce Hawryluk Off Waivers

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There seemed to be a fair amount of anticipation that now-former Florida Panthers forward Jayce Hawryluk would be claimed off waivers today. The 24-year-old has struggled with injury setbacks this season and has been unable to carve out a role for himself in Florida, but was a point-per-game player in the AHL last season before being called up an playing at a 24-point pace in the second half of the season with the Panthers. It seems that the expectations that teams would look beyond this season and grab Hawryluk for his previous displays of potential were well-founded. The young forward only lasted until the No. 3 waiver priority, as the Ottawa Senators announced that they have claimed Hawryluk.

The Senators are again heading toward a trade deadline in which they are expected to move a number of roster players. By claiming Hawryluk, the team adds a young player who can move into a regular role in the place of some of those absences. An increase in ice time should also give Ottawa a better idea of Hawryluk’s identity at the NHL level. A dynamic scorer in his junior days, Hawryluk has flashed that ability briefly in the minors but it has yet to show at the top level. Perhaps an expanded role could help him to re-discover that scoring touch. On the other hand, Ottawa may also be looking toward next year as the true test for Hawryluk, as he is an impending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and the cost-sensitive Senators may be hoping to re-sign him at a low cost before trying to inflate his stats.

Joining the waiver wire today are the Sabre’s Taylor Leier, who just signed a two-way NHL contract with the team today, and the Islanders’ Cole Bardreau, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Neither is expected to be claimed, but Bardreau has at least seen NHL action this year. The 26-year-old has skated in ten games with New York and another 29 with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but has five points combined and is not likely a threat to be claimed. His waiving does indicate that the Islanders are opening up a roster spot for some other corresponding move, however.

Sabres Sign Taylor Leier To NHL Contract

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Last January, the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers swapped prospects, with Justin Bailey heading to Philly and Taylor Leier going to Buffalo. The duo had remarkably similar numbers at both the NHL and AHL levels and were each headed to restricted free agency, but the teams hoped a change of scenery might help to push them into NHL roles. However, when the time came for qualifying offers, both players found themselves as free agents rather than sticking with their new teams. The reasons however were very different.

Bailey got an immediate tryout with Philadelphia last season, skating in 11 games with the Flyers down the stretch. Unfortunately for the big winger, he failed to impress with just one point in that span and was not much of a difference-maker in the AHL either. The Flyers let him walk and he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks this summer, which has so far paid off with immense minor league production and even a pair of NHL appearances.

Leier, on the other hand, spent the remainder of last season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and was a valuable asset. By all accounts, the Sabres had planned to re-sign him. However, the young forward suffered a freak accident while training in May that completely changed the status quo. While practicing his stickhandling on rollerblades at a local tennis court near his Saksatoon home, Leier fell and put his arm out to break his fall. His shoulder popped out, tearing his labrum. Suddenly, his future was in doubt. With a long road ahead of him, including surgery and rehab, Leier knew that an extension with Buffalo was likely no longer an option. Yet, finding employment anywhere else was likely even more unlikely. The team and player agreed that staying where he was, that being AHL Rochester, was the best course of action, and so Leier signed a one-year AHL deal with the Americans.

Leier returned to game action in late December, finally having healed from his accident. In the 17 games since, the skilled forward has recorded seven goals and eight points, among the team’s scoring leaders. Regardless of whether they need him this season or not, the Sabres have decided to reward Leier’s hard work and dedication. The team announced today that they have signed him to an NHL contract for the remainder of the season. While it is a two-way deal worth the minimum $700K, the move is more of a symbolic gesture anyhow that shows Leier that the club continues to support him. It will also keep him under team control into next season as a restricted free agent.

Of course, Leier will have to clear waivers today before he can be re-added to the Rochester roster. If he continues to produce in the AHL, the Sabres could finally give him an NHL look down the stretch as well, especially if they move out current roster pieces at the trade deadline. Leier has 55 NHL games and seven points under his belt and after working hard to return from injury and earn an NHL contract, the hope is that the young forward will have the chance to build upon those totals moving forward.

Minor Transactions: 02/17/20

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A pair of big trades by the New Jersey Devils were not the only surprises on Sunday. Five of yesterday’s nine games could be labeled as upsets, including the Devils own win after dealing captain Andy Greene and fan-favorite Blake Coleman earlier in the day. New Jersey went on to beat Columbus in a shootout nonetheless. Additionally, the Senators squeaked by the Stars in overtime, the Predators narrowly edged out the slumping Blues, and the Ducks and Sabres won handily over the Canucks and Maple Leafs respectively. Anaheim will look to play spoiler again today as they visit Calgary as one five games on the docket today. With one week to go until the NHL Trade Deadline, these games will be an important piece in determining buyers and sellers, as could the roster tweaks they make ahead of these key contests. Keep up with all of those minors moves right here:

  • Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton is nearing a return to the lineup, as the team announced last night that they had assigned Clifton to AHL Providence on a conditioning loan. Clifton has played in 30 games so far this season, but has been out since before the calendar flipped to the new year with an upper-body injury that landed him on long-term injured reserve. Clifton’s eventual return will cause some complications for the Bruins as his roster spot has been occupied by Jeremy Lauzon, who has moved into a starting role in Boston and even earned a new two-year extension. If the Bruins opt to carry eight defensemen upon Clifton’s activation, the most likely candidate to go down (following waivers) would be young grinder Anton Blidh.
  • St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac reports that veteran Troy Brouwer has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. While there has been no official announcement by the team, this should not come as much of a surprise, as Brouwer has previously been sent to the AHL this year. The 34-year-old signed with St. Louis in late November for what will likely be his final NHL campaign, but has only been used sparingly and has struggled to produce in what time he has been given.
  • After recalling defenseman Andreas Englund from AHL Belleville before last night’s game, the Ottawa Senators were quick to send him right back once the game was over. The up-and-down has been a common theme of Englund’s season, as the big Swedish blue liner has played a dozen games with Ottawa and 22 with Belleville. He has just two points combined this season, both in the NHL.

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