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Minor Transactions: 11/27/19

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The vast majority of the NHL is taking part in the action tonight, as 26 teams suit up in a busy Wednesday evening. That schedule includes some top-tier matchups like the Florida Panthers-Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers-Colorado Avalanche. As teams prepare for what should be an excellent night of hockey, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • As expected, the Columbus Blue Jackets have flipped backup goaltenders once again, sending Matiss Kivlenieks to the minor leagues and recalling Elvis Merzlikins. Merzlikins got into some game action last night for the Cleveland Monsters, stopping 28 of 29 shots.
  • Christian Folin has been sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint in order to get him a chance to play in a game for the first time in more than a month. The 28-year old has played in just five games for the Montreal Canadiens this season, none since the middle of October.
  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Marcus Hogberg from the AHL, as Craig Anderson missed practice today. Hogberg is expected to serve as the backup for Anders Nilsson tonight when the Senators take on the Boston Bruins.

Erik Cernak Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has had a busy few days. Their latest discipline has been handed out to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak, who has been suspended for two games. Cernak elbowed Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the head, resulting in a concussion for the young player. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that while we acknowledge the Lightning argument that they believe Dahlin’s glove drove Cernak’s elbow upward and caused the head contact on this play, we disagree.

While Dahlin’s glove does make glancing contact with Cernak’s forearm, it is clear to us that Cernak’s elbow is already on a trajectory where head contact is inevitable. 

The Lightning will be without Cernak for the next couple of games, but the concern now is how long Dahlin will be out after being placed in the concussion protocol. The young phenom has had his share of struggles this season but the Sabres were already looking to move one of their other defensemen to upgrade the forward ranks.

Overseas Notes: Bailey, Rasanen, Hiller

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Casey Bailey has certainly had a whirlwind start to the 2019-20 season. The former Penn State standout joined the Washington Capitals in training camp and later their farm team, the Hershey Bears, but failed to land a contract with either club. He signed with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays in October and was loaned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers earlier this month. After performing well with both teams, it seems Bailey was able to parlay his success into another contract. The Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL have announced that they have signed Bailey to a contract for the remainder of the season. While this is Bailey’s first foray into Swedish hockey, it marks a return to Europe for the 28-year-old, who spent last year with the KHL’s Slovan Bratislava. A two-way right wing with NHL experience, Bailey has never reached the potential he flashed while a member of the Nittany Lions, but brings size, speed, and a track record of strong numbers in the AHL to Vaxjo. Bailey could emerge as a top contributor for the Lakers, who count talented but inexperienced NHL prospects Emil Pettersson (ARI), Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (BOS), and Marcus Davidsson (BUF) among their best players.

  • Eemeli Rasanen is making an unexpected trip to Denmark for the next month. In a move rarely seen, especially with NHL prospects, the KHL’s Jokerit has loaned Rasanen to the Frederikshavn White Hawks of Norway’s Metal Ligaen, the team announced. It is quite the demotion for the 20-year-old defenseman, a 2017 second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs who spent a brief stint in the AHL last year. Fortunately, it is just for a month, as the loan agreement expires after Christmas. Jokerit undoubtedly will make some money off of this deal, but also likely hopes that it jumpstarts Rasanen. The big blue liner has split his season to this point between the KHL and minor league Mestis, failing to make much of an impact at either level. He will have a major advantage over the competition in Denmark though, where he hopes to re-discover his game.
  • Former NHL keeper Jonas Hiller is currently playing the final season of a long, successful career. Or is he? The starting goalie for the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne is dominating the Swiss ranks at the ripe old age of 37, calling into question whether he is really done. Hiller holds a .933 save percentage and 2.03 GAA through 19 games, the best numbers of his career at any pro level. He leads the NLA in both categories as well. Nicola Berger of NZZ Sport writes that Biel-Bienne is trying to convince Hiller not to retire while he is still at the top of his game. The team does not want to suffer a major drop-off in performance in net, so much so that Berger indicates that they could try to poach New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider if Hiller follows through on his departure. While Hiller has entertained the idea of continuing to play when approached by the media, Berger writes that he would be happy to go out on top, not wanting poor play to instead force his hand. While Hiller’s days in the NHL are undoubtedly over, his continued dominance in Switzerland at his age remains an entertaining story to follow.

Florida Panthers Demote Sam Montembeault

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The plan in net seemed so simple for the Florida Panthers. The team made two huge splashes on the goalie front this summer, signing top available free agent Sergei Bobrovsky to a long-term deal and drafting top available prospect Spencer Knight with the No. 13 overall pick. The team believed they could lean on Bobrovsky, a netminder capable of making 60+ appearances in a season, for many years to come before eventually moving on to Knight as the starter. All they needed was a backup who could put up decent numbers in limited action for a few years while bridging the gap to Knight. They believed the man for the job was Sam Montembeault.

On many levels, that plan has not worked out for Florida and now changes are being made. The team announced that Montembeault has been reassigned to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds with Chris Driedger getting the call as his replacement. Yet, the issues in net truly stem from the keeper not involved in this transaction: Sergei Bobrovsky. After inking a seven-year, $70MM contract this off-season, the Panthers $10MM man has been nothing but a massive disappointment. Bobrovksy is in the midst of the worst season of his career – and it’s not particularly close. He holds an .888 save percentage and 3.44 GAA, both well worse than his existing career lows. Yet, the Panthers have had little choice but to continue playing him over the inexperienced Montembeault. In fact,  Bobrovsky actually leads the league with 20 appearances. He has started 19 of the team’s 24 games despite a paltry .368 quality start percentage.

Bobrovsky may be on pace for 65 starts, but Florida still likely did not plan for Montembeault to have made five starts and two relief appearances at the quarter pole of the season. The 23-year-old was supposed to have a sheltered role, but has instead been exposed frequently early this season; and it shows in the results. Montembeault has been just as bad as Bobrovsky, posting an .889 save percentage and 3.31 GAA. The young keeper, who can still be moved to the minors without needing waivers, has been asked to do too much and now the team has opted to send him to the AHL, where he can hopefully see some consistent action and re-discover his game against weaker opposition. Whether or not they trust him to be back as Bobrovsky’s backup anytime soon remains to be seen.

If there is one silver lining to this situation, it is that Driedger will get a chance to show what he can do at the highest level. Two of Driedger’s three NHL appearances have been shutouts, but that hasn’t stopped him from also spending time in the ECHL in five of the past six seasons as he has continually been passed up on the depth chart. Driedger has earned a real chance in the NHL, especially as he sports a .983 save percentage and 2.08 GAA in 14 appearances for Springfield this year. The 25-year-old former Ottawa Senators prospect will undoubtedly get another NHL opportunity soon given Bobrovsky’s play and his edge in experience over the previous backup Montembeault. Who knows, he could even be a candidate for a Jordan Binnington-esque storyline this season if the Panthers’ starter continues to falter. The Panthers could use that sort of breakout, as they undoubtedly are already re-thinking this summer’s big investment.

Minor Transactions: 11/25/19

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A new week is upon us in the NHL and nine games will kick things off tonight. That schedule includes the struggling Calgary Flames heading to Pittsburgh to try and get another win to slow the bleeding, while the super-hot Dallas Stars welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into their arena. With plenty of action on the schedule we’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make to prepare.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Matthew Highmore from the minor leagues, his first opportunity at the NHL level since the 2017-18 season. That year Highmore played in 13 games for the Blackhawks and scored two goals, but missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.
  • Riley Stillman has been sent back to the AHL by the Florida Panthers, while the team takes a few days off. Florida doesn’t play again until Wednesday, when they will try to stop their short two-game losing streak in its tracks.
  • After just a couple of days in the minors for cap reasons, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee have been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers. Both players were in the lineup when the Flyers took on the Calgary Flames on Saturday and were sent down just to bank some cap space on the off day.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea from the AHL, giving them another option with Evan Rodrigues unavailable for tonight. While Dea gives the Sabres a fine option, the team is really testing their organizational depth with all the recent injuries.
  • Daniel Carr has been recalled by the Nashville Predators, a little more than a month after he cleared waivers and was sent down. Carr absolutely tore up the AHL during that time, posting 21 points in 16 games. The 28-year old is an elite AHL offensive weapon, but has just 103 NHL games under his belt.
  • Jack Studnicka and Brendan Gaunce have both been recalled by the Boston Bruins. The team will not have Patrice Bergeron, Brett Ritchie or Par Lindholm for their two-game road trip that starts tomorrow in Montreal.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Michael Hutchinson, sending Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the minor leagues. The backup goaltender usage under new head coach Sheldon Keefe isn’t clear, but the Maple Leafs do have a back-to-back situation coming up this weekend.

Minor Transactions: 11/24/19

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Saturday was a full day of exciting, close games, as 14 match-ups yielded a combined margin of victory of just 24 goals.  This included eight one-goal games, five of which needed extra time to decide, and another four two-goal games. Sunday will be much quieter, with just six teams in action, but could feature more close finishes, with evenly-matched divisional contests in Sabres-Panthers and Oilers-Coyotes. For the other 25 teams not competing, watch for today to be used for evaluation of the week that was and preparation for a new slate of upcoming games. Follow along with all of the roster transactions right here:

  • The New Jersey Devils recalled forward Brett Seney late yesterday afternoon from AHL Binghamton and added him to the lineup right away for their Saturday night tilt with the Detroit Red Wings. The Merrimack college product has been tearing up the minors with 11 goals and 18 points in 19 games, but received just 8:45 in ice time last night. Seney played in 51 games with New Jersey last season, but appears to still have work to do to re-claim a regular role again this year.
  • The Washington Capitals announced that Michael Sgarbossa has been returned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, which could indicate that another forward is ready to return to the NHL lineup. Injuries to Nicklas Backstrom, Carl Hagelin, and Nic Dowd and the suspension of Garnet Hathaway forced the Caps to recall multiple forwards just to ice a full group up front, so Sgarbossa’s demotion could mean one of those three injured forwards is set to return. However, the team is also off until Wednesday, which could make the move a cap decision or simply a chance to give Sgarbossa real ice time with the Bears in their game today. Sgarbossa’s play in Hershey this year has been strong, but his role has been severely limited while with Washington.
  • Filip Zadina is back up with the Detroit Red Wings. The team announced that veteran defenseman Mike Green has been moved to the injured reserve and that the 2018 sixth overall pick has taken his place on the roster. Zadina, who only played in nine games with Detroit last year and has yet to see NHL action this season, will hope to make an impact on this recall, assuming he gets into the lineup. The Czech winger has strong AHL numbers, but Detroit has been hesitant to give him an extended look at the top level. Green’s IR placement is retroactive to November 19, so the clock is already ticking for Zadina to prove he is worthy of a longer stay in the NHL.
  • The Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Riley Stillman ahead of their game later tonight with the Buffalo Sabres. Stillman, 21, has played in three games with the Panthers already this season and has not looked out of place. Florida is far from deep on the blue line, especially after last month’s trade of Ian McCoshen, and they hope that Stillman can work his way into a regular NHL role soon.
  • It looks like the Montreal Canadiens will continue to move forward Charles Hudon back and forth a while longer. According to the AHL transactions page, the Canadiens have assigned Hudon to the Laval Rocket of the AHL, but only as a paper transaction to save cap space. The team is expected to recall him before Tuesday’s game.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have assigned forwards A.J. Greer and Jayson Megna to the Colorado Eagles, the AHL team announced. Megna has seen eight games of action with the Avalanche but has failed to register a point. However, the 29-year-old has fared much better with the Eagles, scoring three goals and five points in nine AHL games. Greer still hasn’t made his season debut with the Avalanche. He returns to the Eagles where he has two goals and 44 penalty minutes in nine games. The team also announced they have recalled defenseman Calle Rosen from the Eagles as well. Rosen, who came over in the Tyson Barrie–Nazem Kadri trade this summer, has fared well in 15 games with the Eagles, posting a goal and eight points. The recall might suggest that defenseman Erik Johnson could be out of the lineup after getting injured Saturday.
  • The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Boo Nieves from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, while returning forward Timothy Gettinger to the minors. Nieves, who appeared in 43 games with the Rangers last season, will be up for the first time this season with the Rangers. He has one goal and eight points in 20 games with Hartford this year. He appeared in two games recently for the Rangers, even picking up an assist on Friday, his first NHL point of his career.
  • The St. Louis Blues have announced a trio of roster moves.  They have recalled defenseman Derrick Pouliot and winger Nathan Walker from AHL San Antonio.  To make room on the roster, they have designed Troy Brouwer as a non-roster player until he receives his work visa.  Pouliot has been quite productive in the minors so far, leading all blueliners with 18 points in 20 games while Walker is averaging over a point per game with 22 in 20 contests.

Pacific Notes: Vancouver Penalty Kill, Brodie, Nygard, Vilardi

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The Vancouver Canucks may not be leading any categories in their penalty kill, but with a 13th-ranked special teams unit that kills off penalties at 82.9 percent, the team found itself challenged against Washington Saturday as the team was without four of its top penalty killers. The team played without Jay Beagle (hip), Brandon Sutter (groin), Tyler Motte (foot) and Alexander Edler (upper body), yet still fared quite well shutting down Washington’s power play on three separate occasions to win the game in a 2-1 shootout.

The Province’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team may be without that group for several more days and the success of the team’s battered penalty kill will likely have a big impact on the remainder of their three-game road trip throughout next week.

  • The Calgary Flames could be getting back defenseman T.J. Brodie sooner than later. The blueliner, who collapsed during practice on Nov. 14, skated on his own Saturday and, according to a Sportsnet report, is expected to join practice with the Flames on Sunday. The team has done a barrage of tests, but have found no evidence that Brodie’s collapse was nothing more than him fainting. Brodie has joined the team on their road trip and may return to action as soon as Monday against Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old has eight assists in 21 games.
  • Edmonton Oilers forward Joakim Nygard was brought in from the SHL to add a speedy winger who can immediately become a top-nine presence, who could help their quick-moving centers with some secondary scoring. However, despite his impressive speed in 10 games, Nygard just has one goal to show for it as he has struggled to finish around the net. Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson suggests that Nygard may be more of a third-line winger as opposed to a second-liner. “There’s still another level there,” said head coach Dave Tippett. “The good thing about him? He’s really determined, he’s not here to mess around. He wants to be a good player and that’s positive to see.”
  • The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) writes that Los Angeles Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi fared well in Friday’s AHL debut. The 11th-overall pick in 2017 has barely played in the past year and a half with a back injury, having seen four games with the AHL Ontario Reign last season. While Vilardi didn’t register a point, he did have a breakaway opportunity and looked happy throughout the contest. “Now, to see him last night, he had a smile on his face,” Kings director of player personnel Glen Murray said. “We lost the game (4-1). But for him, it was successful. It was a passing grade, for sure. He’s come a long way. It’s been a long year. He did well. To be off a year – his game legs aren’t going to be there – but he made some nice plays, won a lot of faceoffs and he had this breakaway in the third period last night.”

Ottawa Senators Seeking A Defenseman

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Heading into this season, few would have expected the Ottawa Senators to be active buyers on the trade market. Few would have expected them to be a .500 team on November 23 as well, though. The Senators are playing well and their first substantial acquisition of the season, former New York Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov, has worked out nicely (although he’s currently injured). The team has been open about their desire to add more veteran pieces and, while previous reports indicated their preference was to acquire another forward, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is now hoping to trade for a defenseman.

The Senators were not overly strong or deep on the blue line when the season began. Behind Thomas Chabot, it was mostly a unit composed of role players and unproven prospects. However, the situation has become even more dire due to injuries. Young Erik Brannstrom remains sidelined with a hand injury, depth defender Cody Goloubef left Friday night’s game with an undisclosed injury, Andreas Englund suffered an injury in the minors, and Christian Wolanin has yet to play this season as he returns from a shoulder injury. Nikita Zaitsev is also currently in his native Russia tending to personal matters. Garrioch writes that this left Ottawa no choice but to recall both Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros from the minors on Friday, leaving AHL Belleville with just two NHL prospects – first-year AHLers Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing – and a defense corps otherwise composed of tryout players and ECHL call-ups. Clearly, Ottawa could use a blue line addition purely from a numbers perspective.

However, performance is also an issue on the blue line, particularly when it comes to scoring. Zaitsev, who is expected to return soon, has not contributed much offensively despite considerable ice time. Fellow former Maple Leaf Ron Hainsey and 2018-19 standout Dylan DeMelo have also been non-factors in the scoring department. This has left Chabot carrying the load and Mark Borowiecki contributing on offense, which has not typically been his strong suit. If the Senators are going to trade for a defenseman, they may as well target a player who can take on a regular role and assist the team offensively.

With that said, don’t expect Ottawa to target any of the big names on the rumor mill. While it would be comical for the Senators to add yet another former Toronto player, Tyson Barrie is likely not a target. Nor is New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen, Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, or Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin. The Senators will likely target upside at a low cost. Unsigned RFA Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars seems like an intriguing option, so long as they can swing a deal before the December 1st signing deadline. An impending UFA, like Namestnikov, would also make sense for the Senators, who could flip that player at the trade deadline if need be. Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson, L.A.’s Ben Hutton, and San Jose’s Radim Simek are all interesting options. Detroit’s Mike Green, who has name value but disappointing numbers so far this season, could also be a potential buy low/sell high candidate if he could turn his game around. There are plenty of options available for the Senators to make a move, but the question remains when and who.

T.J. Brodie Released From Hospital

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November 21: Flames’ GM Brad Treliving issued an update on Brodie’s status:

TJ has been working out for the past several days and today skated on his own under the supervision of our medical staff. Over this past week he has had consultations with appropriate specialists in Calgary. To date all medical evaluations and testing have been reassuring. We still work to complete final testing and are optimistic he will re-join the team in the near future. TJ has been placed on injury reserve retroactive to November 14th.

November 15: After a scary incident at Calgary Flames practice, word has come down that T.J. Brodie is feeling better. Brodie collapsed and was convulsing on the ice before being taken to hospital, but today Dr. Ian Auld explained at a press conference that the incident was more likely related to fainting than to a significant brain issue. Several tests came back negative, though the team is still taking it slow and making sure he has fully recovered.

There is no timetable for Brodie’s return and in the meantime the Flames have recalled Oliver Kylington from the AHL. In order to fit him in, Juuso Valimaki has been moved to long-term injured reserve.

Brodie is an extremely important part of the Flames’ defense, but obviously everyone involved is concerned with his long-term health.

Minor Transactions: 11/21/19

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Even though a lot of hockey media will be closely monitoring Sheldon Keefe’s debut as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, there are a number of other teams suiting up tonight for games just as important. 25 others in fact, as 13 games are scheduled for tonight including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl back in action against the Los Angeles Kings. As teams prepare for the big night, we’ll track all the minor moves right here.

  • After last night’s game, the Montreal Canadiens sent Charles Hudon back to the AHL. The team seems likely to recall him again for their game on Saturday night, saving a few cap dollars in the process.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Zach Trotman from the minor leagues after Justin Schultz missed practice yesterday. It’s not clear if Schultz will miss any real time, but the team obviously needed an insurance plan.
  • Matt Martin has been activated from injured reserve by the New York Islanders, who will have him back in the lineup tonight against the Penguins. Martin has been out for nearly a month but is expected back beside Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck.
  • Kevin Rooney meanwhile has been moved to injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils. The move is retroactive to November 13th, meaning the team can activate him at any time.

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