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AHL 2020 All-Star Rosters Announced

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Just like the NHL did recently, the AHL has now announced their All-Star rosters for the upcoming festivities. The minor league will hold their annual showcase in Ontario, California, hosted by the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate. 33 of the players announced are AHL All-Stars for the first time, including several top prospects around the league.

The full rosters:

Atlantic Division:

Andrew Agozzino, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers
Paul Carey, Providence Bruins
Chris Driedger, Springfield Thunderbirds
Morgan Frost, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Joey Keane, Hartford Wolf Pack
Matt Moulson, Hershey Bears (Captain)
Michael Sgarbossa, Hershey Bears
Igor Shesterkin, Hartford Wolf Pack
Jack Studnicka, Providence Bruins
Owen Tippett, Springfield Thunderbirds

North Division:

Rudolfs Balcers, Belleville Senators
Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch
Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators
Reid Boucher, Utica Comets
Nathan Gerbe, Cleveland Monsters
Charles Hudon, Laval Rocket
Jonas Johansson, Rochester Americans
Kasimir Kaskisuo, Toronto Marlies
Lawrence Pilut, Rochester Americans
Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets
Rasmus Sandin, Toronto Marlies
Ben Street, Binghamton Devils

Central Division:

Alexandre Carrier, Milwaukee Admirals
Lucas Elvenes, Chicago Wolves
Matthew Ford, Grand Rapids Griffins (Captain)
Jansen Harkins, Manitoba Moose
Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals
Kevin Lankinen, Rockford IceHogs
Joel L’Esperance, Texas Stars
Gerald Mayhew, Iowa Wild
Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild
Derrick Pouliot, San Antonio Rampage
Chris Terry, Grand Rapids Griffins
Yakov Trenin, Milwaukee Admirals

Pacific Division:

Joachim Blichfeld, San Jose Barracuda
Kyle Capobianco, Tucson Roadrunners
Kale Clague, Ontario Reign
Martin Frk, Ontario Reign
Glenn Gawdin, Stockton Heat
Lane Pederson, Tucson Roadrunners
Calvin Petersen, Ontario Reign
Matthew Phillips, Stockton Heat
Anthony Stolarz, San Diego Gulls
T.J. Tynan, Colorado Eagles
Chris Wideman, San Diego Gulls
Kailer Yamamoto, Bakersfield Condors

Minor Transactions: 01/03/19

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Just two games are on the schedule for today before a busy weekend in the NHL, meaning teams have time to assess their roster and make any changes needed. Even though there isn’t a ton of action, there are still some storylines to keep an eye on. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will be heading to Carolina to take on Andrei Svechnikov and the Hurricanes in a battle of two Metropolitan playoff hopefuls. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves as those teams and others get ready:

  • The Ottawa Senators have returned Erik Brannstrom to the minor leagues after acquiring Mike Reilly yesterday. Brannstrom obviously still needs some time to polish out his two-way game, even if he has flashed glimpses of the top-pairing potential he possesses.
  • With Victor Olofsson injured last night, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled Scott Wilson from the minor leagues. There’s no word on the extent of the injury just yet, but the team is making moves to secure some NHL depth.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have returned Justin Scott to the AHL, perhaps a sign that someone will be coming back for them before long. The Blue Jackets’ injury list is longer than their roster at the moment, but they’ve still won two in a row.
  • Nick Seeler is heading to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan, to get in some game action and stay fresh for the Minnesota Wild. The 26-year old has played in just six games this season and would be a difficult name to call as a replacement right now.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Casey DeSmith to serve as backup for a game, as they let Tristan Jarry rest and get ready for his next appearance. Jarry has performed incredibly this season for the Penguins, but is already approaching the most NHL starts he’s ever had in a single year. He’ll prepare to play the earlier start on Sunday. The team has also recalled Thomas Di Pauli.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned a trio of players to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Chris Wideman, Daniel Sprong, and Sam Carrick will all head back to the minors. Wideman was only recalled yesterday – his first call-up of the season – and Sprong on Monday, making it a quick stint for both.
  • Steven Kampfer cleared waivers back in early December but has still spent much of the past month in Boston. Yet, as the Bruins get healthy, Kampfer now heads back to AHL Providence, per insider Mark Divver. Kampfer will serve the second game of a two-game AHL suspension tonight, Divver adds.

Minor Transactions: 01/02/20

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After the Winter Classic brought several lasting memories, including Corey Perry’s long walk to the dressing room and a penalty shot by Denis Gurianov, the NHL is back to their regularly scheduled programming. Today brings 12 games and lots of intrigue, including a top matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. As team’s prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Joona Luoto back to the AHL to continue his development. The 22-year old has played in 16 games at the NHL level but doesn’t have a point yet.
  • After starting the year on season-opening injured reserve, Anton Blidh is ready to get into some action. He’ll go to the Providence Bruins on a LTI conditioning loan, which sounds bad but is actually a positive step.
  • Jeremy Lauzon has also been sent to Providence by the Boston Bruins, after making his season debut earlier this week. Lauzon, 22, has ten points in 35 games for the P-Bruins.

Minor Transactions: 12/31/19

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The NHL is embracing the celebratory feeling on New Year’s Eve with a few afternoon games today, including a tough matchup between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals. As that gets underway, we’ll keep an eye on all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Givani Smith from the AHL after Andreas Athanasiou suffered another injury. Athanasiou could be out for a few weeks according to head coach Jeff Blashill, though the team isn’t in a position to compete for the playoffs anyway.
  • The Arizona Coyotes recalled Michael Chaput last night, giving them another option up front for their game against the St. Louis Blues. That game represents another potential playoff matchup, as the Blues are running away with the Central Division but Coyotes could drop into a wild card spot at any point.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Matiss Kivlenieks

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12:30pm: Korpisalo will be out “weeks” according to Tortorella, who also admitted to Hedger that his comments were undisciplined.

9:12am: After Joonas Korpisalo was injured in last night’s game, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Matiss Kivlenieks under emergency conditions. Korpisalo was injured in a shootout that head coach John Tortorella believes should never have even happened, after a clock issue late in overtime. Tortorella may be facing some discipline for his remarks, as NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that the comments were “unprofessional along with unacceptable.”

The focus now however is on Korpisalo, who has been excellent for the Blue Jackets lately and has them back on the playoff bubble in the Eastern Conference. While they still sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division, Columbus’ 42 points are just six shy of Carolina for the final playoff spot.

Kivlenieks meanwhile is having an inconsistent season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL in his third full professional campaign. The 23-year old goaltender carries an .894 save percentage in 15 appearances, well behind his partner Veini Vehvilainen. If Korpisalo misses any length of time, you can bet Elvis Merzlikins will get the first chance to take the NHL net.

Minor Transactions: 12/30/19

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With just one game on the schedule for this evening, teams are licking their wounds waiting for the New Year and the second half of the NHL season. The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins will be in action, but even those on a rest day will be making minor tweaks. As those come in, we’ll list them here.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Timothy Liljegren and Teemu Kivihalme, two defensemen yet to make their NHL debuts. The Maple Leafs already lost Jake Muzzin to a broken foot and need to replace him on the roster. It seems Kivihalme will get the first shot, as Liljegren has already been returned to the AHL Marlies.
  • With Charlie McAvoy going onto injured reserve, the Boston Bruins have recalled Jeremy Lauzon under emergency conditions. McAvoy hasn’t played since before Christmas, though the injury isn’t expected to keep him out long-term. The Bruins got some good news on the injury front as well, activating forward Karson Kuhlman from the injured reserve and assigning him to AHL Providence.
  • Calvin Pickard has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings once again, giving them another healthy goaltender. Pickard has ended up playing two games for Detroit this season, but has a 5.32 GAA and .818 save percentage.
  • Mathieu Joseph is heading back to the minor leagues once again, something the Tampa Bay Lightning have done several times this month. The young forward has still spent most of his season with the NHL club, but is bouncing back and forth lately.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Joachim Blichfield from the AHL Barracuda, giving the youngster another opportunity after he made his NHL debut early last month. Blichfield has been one San Jose’s best minor league forwards this season and the struggling Sharks could use an offensive boost if he can translate his game to the next level.
  • Daniel Sprong is back in the NHL after a brief layover with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The Anaheim Ducks called up the young forward, who has spent considerable time with the team this year, but has only actually played in one game. Sprong recorded 19 points in 47 games with the Ducks last year and already has 19 points in 25 games with the Gulls, so he has the potential to make an impact in Anaheim if given the chance.
  • With the Minnesota Wild activating captain Mikko Koivu, the team has reassigned rookie forward Nico Sturm to AHL Iowa. Sturm, a highly sought-after college free agent last spring, has 12 points in 25 games wIowa this year and a pair of points in six games with Minnesota as well.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Dalton Smith

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The Buffalo Sabres have decided that Dalton Smith has done enough to earn an NHL deal, signing the minor league veteran to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level. Smith has been with the Rochester Americans for the last three seasons, playing on AHL contracts.

If a deal like this comes as some surprise, it is important to note who the Sabres play on Tuesday evening. Buffalo will welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning into their building tomorrow night, the same team that has injured both Vladimir Sobotka and Rasmus Dahlin this season. Though Smith isn’t a prototypical enforcer, he does play an extremely heavy game and is not afraid to stand up for his teammates or drop the gloves.

The fact that Smith isn’t on waivers prior to signing indicates that he will not be sent down immediately. In fact, he was on the ice with the team at practice today and could very well be added to the lineup for tomorrow night. The 27-year old has four points in 21 games for the Americans this season.

Minor Transactions: 12/29/19

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There were nine games in the NHL last night and, outside of a surprising 6-1 drubbing of the Flyers by the Sharks, it was a slate of tight results. The other eight match-ups combined for a margin of victory of just 12 goals, including five one-goal decisions. With another ten games on the docket today, including five divisional rivalries, it should be another competitive slate. Every team will be trying to make the right roster moves to improve their odds of winning, so keep up with all of the action here:

  • Last night, the Nashville Predators recalled Yakov Trenin, replacing the roster spot of Colton Sissons, who has been placed on injured reserve. Trenin has been up-and-down frequently this season, playing in six games with the Predators and 20 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Trenin’s minor league production this season suggests he could assert himself as a top-nine forward for Nashville if he continues to get opportunities.
  • Another notable move last night was the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signing Sebastien Caron to a PTO to serve as their emergency backup goalie. That name should be familiar, as Caron made his WBS Penguins debut back in 2000-01 and made 95 NHL appearances over a 15-year pro career, 90 of which came with Pittsburgh and the other five in brief stops with Chicago, Anaheim, and Tampa Bay. Caron also spent parts of nine seasons in Europe. Since retiring from regular play in 2015-16, Caron has made multiple emergency backup appearances for the AHL Penguins, as well as the Binghamton Devils.
  • Derek Forbort finally returned to action last night, as the Los Angeles Kings activated the defenseman from the injured reserve and assigned him to the AHL’s Ontario Reign on a conditioning loan. Forbort began the season on the injured reserve with a back injury, but looked like he was trending toward a return in late November. However, Forbort suffered a setback during a previous conditioning stint and never made it back to active duty with the Kings. The team hopes that this time around he can stay healthy in the AHL and make his NHL debut sooner rather than later.
  • With a few days between games, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Kenny Agostino and Timothy Liljegren back to the AHL. With Jake Muzzin out due to a broken foot and Rasmus Sandin currently overseas playing for Sweden, Liljegren seems to be the next in line for an NHL opportunity in Toronto.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have assigned forward Morgan Frost to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL and have activated forward Michael Raffl off of injured reserve. Frost, one of the team’s top prospects, scored two goals in his first two NHL games, but has failed to score in the past 16 games. His last game, the team’s 6-1 loss to San Jose, Frost finished with a minus-three rating. He will return to the AHL to find his scoring confidence. Raffl has been inserted in the Flyers’ lineup after sitting out since Dec. 3 after breaking his finger. The 31-year-old has three goals and six assists this season in 28 games.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Kailer Yamamoto, William Lagesson

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When the Edmonton Oilers placed Markus Granlund on waivers yesterday, it raised some questions over who would be recalled to fill his spot on the active roster. Those questions were answered today after Granlund cleared and was assigned to the minor leagues. Kailer Yamamoto, one of the team’s top prospects, will get another chance at the NHL level after being recalled today along with William Lagesson. Brandon Manning, who was also waived yesterday, has also been sent to the AHL.

The 21-year old Yamamoto has had short stints with the Oilers in each of the last two seasons, but is still looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. Selected 22nd overall in 2017, he has just five points in 26 games with the Oilers but has been better of late in the minor leagues. Due to injuries he has been limited to just 50 AHL contests in his short career, scoring 34 points.

While there are still high hopes for Yamamoto, the question now becomes whether he can develop into the kind of top-six option the team desperately needs to find. Edmonton has relied so heavily on their top few forwards this season and are still getting almost nothing from the rest of the roster. Zack Kassian’s 26 points in 38 games are good for third on the team in scoring, while other names like Alex Chiasson have been extremely disappointing.

It’s not just Yamamoto that will bring some excitement to the NHL team though. Lagesson too has become an interesting prospect for the Oilers after being selected in the fourth round way back in 2014. After a year in the USHL, two at UMass and one in Sweden, it was a long road for Lagesson to join the Oilers’ organization before last season. He was worth the wait though, as he recorded 27 points in 67 games for the Bakersfield Condors, while racking up a +25 rating (the highest among defensemen).

Minor Transactions: 12/27/19

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As the holiday season comes to an end and teams are back in action, plenty of players will be on their way back to the NHL. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves with 11 games on the schedule for tonight.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Adam Clendening, Gabriel Carlsson, Ryan MacInnis and Jakob Lilja, showing just how many injuries they are dealing with at the moment. All but Lilja are up under emergency conditions after placing Cam Atkinson on injured reserve.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins, another team dealing with plenty of injuries, have recalled Kevin Czuczman, Thomas DiPauli and Joseph Blandisi. The Penguins will take on the Nashville Predators tonight as they continue to try and navigate a difficult season.
  • Jake Walman has been recalled by the St. Louis Blues ahead of their game against the Winnipeg Jets. The Blues sent Niko Mikkola down before the holidays, but perhaps they’ve decided to see what Walman can do instead.
  • Riley Stillman is on his way to join the Florida Panthers, though they won’t play until tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings. Stillman has spent most of the season in the AHL, but does have three games at the NHL level this year.
  • With the Toronto Maple Leafs back in action tonight, the team has recalled Martin Marincin and Adam Brooks from the AHL. Brooks, who still has yet to make his NHL debut, has 16 points in 20 minor league games and has long been a favorite of head coach Sheldon Keefe.
  • Nico Sturm has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild, after getting into four games before Christmas. Sturm is still looking for his first NHL goal, but looks like he can handle the center position, at least in limited minutes.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Christian Djoos in time for their game tonight against the battered Blue Jackets, as both Michal Kempny and Radko Gudas are both dealing with an illness. The two veteran defensemen are game-time decisions.
  • Andrew Ladd has been returned to the AHL by the New York Islanders, after playing in one NHL game. It appears as though the end is coming quickly for the 34-year old forward, who still has three more years on his contract but has been stuck in the minor leagues.
  • Filip Zadina, Calvin Pickard and Brian Lashoff have all been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings as they prepare for a back-to-back this weekend. The Red Wings sit in last place in the entire NHL and are already looking ahead to the draft lottery in the spring.
  • Colin Blackwell and Jarred Tinordi have both been recalled by the Nashville Predators, giving them a full 23-man roster once again. Tinordi, 27, hasn’t played in an NHL game since the 2015-16 season.
  • Curtis Lazar has been recalled by the Buffalo Sabres, who were hoping that Johan Larsson would be ready for tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins. Lazar has bounced back and forth all year, playing eight games with the Sabres and 18 with the Rochester Americans.
  • Mathieu Joseph is on his way back to the AHL once again, assigned there by the Tampa Bay Lightning today. The 22-year old forward has played in 32 games with the Lightning this season, but needs to get his game back on track and will get some more time at the minor league level to do it.

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