Minor Transactions: 02/09/20
It’s the first Sunday without football since September 1st, but the NHL is here to take over with a five-game slate today. The action kicks off at 12:30 local time in Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. The contest doubles as both an Original Six match-up and a meeting between the best and worst records in the league. Zdeno Chara, who was honored yesterday in Boston for 1500 career games and 1000 games with the Bruins, will lead his team into what they hope is their seventh win in a row. Meanwhile, the Blackhaws-Jets and Avalanche-Wild present Central Division collisions between teams all jockeying for playoff position. Colorado would like to catch St. Louis atop the conference, while Chicago, Minnesota, and Winnipeg are just hoping they can punch their ticket to the postseason. Amidst the action today, there will also be a number of minor moves as teams prepare their rosters for the week ahead. Sunday is typically a busy day for transactions, and early indications are that today will be no different. Follow along with all the moves here:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that rookie center Ryan MacInnis has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has just one point in nine games with Columbus this season. The once-promising pivot looks as though his future in the NHL will likely be as a bottom-six contributor, rather than the top-six forward he was projected as when the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the second round in 2014. His spot is being taken on the roster by top prospect Liam Foudy as his OHL team in London announced that the 20-year-old has been recalled on an emergency basis. The 18th pick in 2018 has 43 points in 32 games with the Knights this season and can play in up to nine games without burning the first season of his entry-level deal.
- After sending defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres have turned around and called him back up this morning. Pilut has been an impressive contributor for the Rochester Americans this season, but has been held off the scoreboard with Buffalo.
- Conversely, the Washington Capitals have demoted their young defender Martin Fehervary after he was recalled and added to the lineup yesterday ahead of the team’s game against the Flyers. CapFriendly reports that Fehervary is on his way back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he has already logged 45 appearances this season.
- CapFriendly also reports that Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Benson has been returned to the AHL. The promising prospect leads the Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 42 games so far this year.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced that oft-on-the-move forward Nicolas Roy has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The big forward has split his season between both clubs and has been a consistent contributor at both levels. At least if Roy continues to be a frequent mover next season, the trip will be shorter, as the Knights hope to bring an AHL affiliate to the Las Vegas area.
- The Athletic’s Eric Stephens relays that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped a trio a prospects. Heading to the parent club are defensemen Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura, while forward Kiefer Sherwood will return to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The uneven exchange and the addition of two defensemen indicates that veteran Erik Gudbranson has been moved to the injured reserve. The defensive duo should be able to fill in nicely, as they have each registered four points in a combined 29 points this season.
- With the Bruins “expecting something” from Jeremy Lauzon’s hearing with Player Safety this morning, Brandon Carlo flying to meet the team in Detroit after a personal day on Saturday, and John Moore leaving yesterday’s game in the third period, the team had more than enough reason to use an emergency recall on Urho Vaakanainen. However, the top D prospect is not expected to play after all, as Carlo and Moore are anticipated to be good to go for the matinee. Vaakanainen was sent back to Providence after the game, the team announced.
- The Detroit Red Wings have activated defenseman Mike Green off of injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, and he is playing against the Boston Bruins Sunday. Green has missed six contests with an upper-body injury. He has just eight points this season to go with a minus-27 rating.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Robbie Russo to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Russo was recalled on Thursday to serve as an extra defenseman, but wasn’t needed and didn’t appear in a game for the Coyotes. The 26-year-old has 14 points in Tucson.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Colby Cave from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Even after sending Tyler Benson down earlier today (look above), the team still had an opening on the roster, which Cave should fill. He has just one goal in five games with Edmonton this season and 10 goals in 40 games in Bakersfield.
West Notes: Couture, Karlsson, Radulov, Ferland
With all the disappointments that have surrounded the San Jose Sharks this season, the team finally got some good news as captain Logan Couture, who has been out with a broken ankle since the beginning of January, skated today for the second time, according to the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka. While there remains no timetable for a return just yet, it’s good news for a team that recently lost all-star Tomas Hertl to a season-ending injury.
The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that Couture is expected to skate again Sunday and then will take off Monday before deciding what to do next. Couture is just skating, however, and hasn’t yet worked with pucks. However, Couture is happy and pleased with the way the team has been playing of late. The Sharks have won two straight and three of their last five games.
- The Vegas Golden Knights might also be getting back one of its top players as forward William Karlsson practiced with the team today in a regular jersey, suggesting that the 27-year-old is close to returning. “He’s getting close,” said head coach Peter DeBoer (via Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen). “I think he’s taking some contact today. He’s got another X-ray tomorrow and then we’ll see. If that goes well, he’s probably really close.” Karlsson could be available for the team’s game against Minnesota on Monday, depending on how his x-rays come out.
- The Dallas Stars announced they will be without top winger Alexander Radulov Saturday. The forward suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s game against Minnesota. Rookie Joel Kiviranta will take his place in the lineup. The 33-year-old has 15 goals and 31 points, which are numbers well below his first two seasons in Dallas where he scored 27 and 29 goals each.
- The Vancouver Canucks are also hoping to get back a familiar face. Forward Micheal Ferland returned to practice and skated with the team, but TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the team still intends to send Ferland to the Utica Comets of the AHL on a conditioning stint before allowing him to return to the lineup. Ferland spent some time this week practicing with the team, but they now hope to get him some game action in the AHL first. Ferland, out with an upper-body injury, hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 10.
Trade Rumors: Connor, Gostisbehere, Center Market
With the Winnipeg Jets continuing to slide further and further from playoff contention this season, the team will have to begin entertaining trade offers. While impending free agents like Dmitry Kulikov, Luca Sbisa, and Gabriel Bourque could be the most likely trade casualties, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press writes that the team is receiving considerable interest in top line winger Kyle Connor. Normally, a player like Connor, who is skating more than 20 minutes per night and leading the team in goal scoring at the age of 23, would be untouchable. However, the Jets are deep up front and in desperate need of a new cornerstone on defense and the possibility of landing an elite young player or prospect who could fill that void may have them at least listening to offers for Connor. The division rival Colorado Avalanche are reportedly leading the hunt, with 2019 No. 4 overall pick Bowen Byram being the core piece that would head to the Jets. A young defenseman of Byram’s caliber would be a huge addition to the Winnipeg pipeline, but would not be able to play a top-pair role for a few years still to come. Is that enough to part with a player like Connor? McIntyre is skeptical and reiterates that in no way are the Jets shopping their young star. After all, they just signed Connor to a seven-year, $50MM extension back in September. However, given their disappointing season and bleak outlook on the blue line, it cannot be ruled out that the right price – Byram or otherwise – could entice the Jets to move Connor.
- A difficult season for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere continued not only in his last game, but in his last practice as well. Gostisbehere, who has missed 13 games this season due to injury and has struggled even when healthy, drew back into the Flyers’ lineup on Thursday night. The team proceeded to drop an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils, in which the pairing of Gostisbehere and Justin Braun were of little help. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ed Barkowitz recounts that Gostisbehere’s frustration boiled over in practice on Friday. The blue liner whiffed on a shot late in practice and responded by hurling his stick over the glass and storming off the ice. While Barkowitz makes no mention of any possible discipline for Gostisbehere as a result of this incident, there is a strong chance that he will take a seat for Saturday’s match-up against the Washington Capitals. While it may seem like Gostisbehere is wearing out his welcome in Philly with lacking results and now visible distress, head coach Alain Vigneault did acknowledge to Barkowitz that the team likely erred in rushing Gostisbehere back from his knee surgery rather than allowing him to serve a rehab stint in the AHL. But with the deed done, both sides have to live with the current situation. Or do they? Gostisbehere remains a hot name on the trade market and with the Flyers fighting for a playoff spot and needing help up front, a trade seems like a strong possibility. Gostisbehere is only 26 and has three years remaining on his current contract, but this seems like a situation where both sides might benefit from a fresh start. With each of their next five games coming against an Eastern Conference team currently in playoff position, a crucial stretch for the Flyers’ own postseason hopes, perhaps a Gostisbehere deal will come sooner rather than later.
- The Flyers are one of a number of teams who could benefit from bringing in a center at the deadline. However, TSN’s Frank Seravalli points out that this is the weakest position in the current trade market. The top available option is Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who some believe the team would rather re-sign than deal. Beyond that, the only other two centers on TSN’s Trade Bait List are Nashville’s Kyle Turris, and his remaining four years and $24MM, and Detroit’s veteran pivot Valtteri Filppula. Beyond that, Seravalli lists impending UFA’s Derek Grant of Anaheim and Nate Thompson of Montreal and younger players like San Jose’s Barclay Goodrow and Ottawa’s Chris Tierney as the top options. Once Pageau is off the board – or worse, if he isn’t traded at all – it is slim pickings down the middle on the trade market. Seravalli lists the Oilers, Capitals, and Jets as teams joining Philadelphia in the pursuit of a center, but not all of these teams will leave the deadline happy.
Minor Transactions: 02/07/20
Just four games grace the NHL schedule this evening, but there are sure to be some whoppers. The Buffalo Sabres head into Madison Square Garden to try and find some tiny bit of success in what has been a trying time for everyone involved with the team. The Sabres lost yesterday to the historically-bad Detroit Red Wings and are now 23-23-8 on the year. Meanwhile, the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs will throw Jack Campbell into the net right away against the Anaheim Ducks to try and save their season. As they and the rest of the league get ready, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the minor leagues, as Mark Borowiecki prepares for the birth of his first child. Borowiecki won’t be with the team as they travel to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s afternoon tilt against the Jets.
- Jeremy Lauzon and Karson Kuhlman have been recalled by the Boston Bruins, who welcome in Phil Kessel and the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night. Brandon Carlo will not be playing for the team as he is dealing with a personal matter, but is expected to re-join them in time for Sunday’s game.
- Antti Suomela has been returned to the AHL after sitting out the last few games for the San Jose Sharks. The 25-year old center has played 12 games this season, recording three assists.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Kiefer Sherwood from the minor leagues, sending Daniel Sprong down in his place. Sprong, 22, has played most of the season in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 24 points in 31 games.
- After losing Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Cameron Gaunce from the minor leagues. The team will need to find a way to keep their blue line in order after the recent losses.
- Morgan Frost is on his way back to the NHL, recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers after a month in the minors. In total, the young forward has played 30 games in the AHL this season, scoring 20 points. Andy Andreoff has been sent back down.
- Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, coming up for just the second time this season. The 22-year old defenseman hasn’t played a game at the NHL level this year, but does have 14 points in 43 games for the Utica Comets.
Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman
New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.
- He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
- A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.
Minor Transactions: 02/05/20
While the MLB dominates the newsstands with some blockbuster deals yesterday, hockey fans will soon turn back to their beloved NHL and the race to the trade deadline. Things are heating up around the league with rumors swirling around any team within a few points of the playoffs, and there is bound to be some movement in the coming weeks. As teams prepare for all that action they have games to play and minor moves to make in order to ice full rosters. We’ll keep track of all those smaller moves right here:
- The Washington Capitals have returned Martin Fehervary and Vitek Vanecek to the minor leagues after just one game, which only the former took part in. Fehervary ended up playing nearly 20 minutes for the Capitals last night in their comeback win against the Los Angeles Kings, and will likely be back up at some point for the team. Vanecek meanwhile was just insurance after Ilya Samsonov left practice, but Braden Holtby got the start and stopped 29 of 31 shots.
- Matiss Kivlenieks, Jakob Lilja and Andrew Peeke have all been sent to the AHL by the Columbus Blue Jackets, with some other names nearing a return. Josh Anderson and Ryan Murray are both close to jumping back into the lineup for the Blue Jackets, who outlasted the Florida Panthers last night for a 1-0 overtime win.
- Taro Hirose and Gustav Lindstrom appear ready to get a chance at the NHL, after being recalled by the Detroit Red Wings. To make room on the roster both Frans Nielsen and Mike Green have been placed on injured reserve. Hirose has played 23 games for the Red Wings this season, but Lindstrom will be making his NHL debut whenever he gets in the lineup. The 21-year old defenseman was selected 38th overall in 2017 and is in his first year of North American professional hockey.
- Speaking of making a debut, Andrei Chibisov has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets for the first time this season. The 26-year old was signed out of the KHL last summer and has 24 points in 46 games for the Manitoba Moose. To make room, Cameron Schilling has been returned to the AHL.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Scott Wilson from the minor leagues, while sending Jean-Sebastien Dea back down. The Sabres are dealing with a long list of injuries at the NHL and AHL levels while also plummeting in the standings.
- The Colorado Avalanche have assigned Mark Barberio to the AHL for a conditioning stint, while recalling Calle Rosen. Rosen, acquired last summer in the deal that brought Nazem Kadri to town, played eight games earlier in the season for the Avalanche and recorded two points.
Barrett Hayton Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
After scoring a goal in the World Junior gold medal game with an injured shoulder, Barrett Hayton returned to the Arizona Coyotes in early January. Labeled back then as week-to-week as he recovered, the young forward will now head to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners for a conditioning stint. That move indicates that Hayton is close to returning, though how the Coyotes will use him is still unclear.
Interestingly, Hayton is actually too young to stay with Tucson beyond the conditioning loan. Still just 19, once healthy he has to stay with the Coyotes or be returned to his junior team. Returning to junior doesn’t make much sense at this point after the first year of his entry-level contract was already burned, but the top prospect was also not playing regularly for Arizona before leaving for the international tournament in the first place.
In 14 games this season with Arizona, Hayton has one goal and four points. He tripled that total in seven games at the WJC, as he captained Team Canada to gold. The fifth-overall pick from 2018, Hayton can do a little bit of everything on the ice and projects to be a star option down the middle for the Coyotes in the future. This short stint with the Roadrunners may prove to be his only time in the minor leagues.
Montreal Canadiens Recall Cayden Primeau
The Montreal Canadiens are on their way to New Jersey to take on P.K. Subban and the Devils, but they’ll be without Carey Price. The star goaltender did not travel with the club due to an illness, making it necessary for Montreal to recall Cayden Primeau from the minor leagues under emergency circumstances.
Primeau, 20, made his NHL debut and played two games with the Canadiens earlier this season, registering a .931 save percentage. That performance is extremely encouraging after Primeau’s excellent collegiate career, though it has been a little tougher in the minor leagues.
The seventh-round pick remains a top goaltending prospect and a potential backup for Price in the coming years, but obviously needs some more time to develop. Still, his .899 save percentage for the Laval Rocket actually leads the club, beating out both Charlie Lindgren and Keith Kinkaid during their time in the AHL.
Minor Transactions: 02/03/20
A new week of NHL action and wild speculation starts with three games this evening, including the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs battling for position in the Atlantic Division. The two clubs are trying desperately to capture a divisional playoff spot and avoid the wild card race entirely, with Toronto currently leading by two points. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Christian Folin from the minor leagues, after sending two of their youngsters down in recent days. Folin played five games for the Canadiens earlier this season and has one point.
- Joey Anderson is on his way to the New Jersey Devils, recalled after scoring 34 points in 44 games for the Binghamton Devils this season. Anderson made his NHL debut in 2018-19 and ended up playing in 34 contests for New Jersey, but has been limited to AHL action this year.
- Carl Grundstrom has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings, with Matt Luff heading down in his place. The 22-year old forward has played in nine games with the Kings this year, but once again has spent most of his season in the minors. Acquired as part of the Jake Muzzin deal last season, Grundstrom has yet to really establish himself at the NHL level.
- After bringing up Maxim Letunov yesterday, the San Jose Sharks recalled another pair from the minor leagues. Andrew Shortridge and Danil Yurtaykin both joined the NHL roster, after the team placed Logan Couture and Joel Kellman on injured reserve. At least part of this move was to get as close to the salary cap ceiling as possible before placing Tomas Hertl on long-term injured reserve. Once that move was made earlier today, Shortridge and Yurtaykin were returned to the Barracuda and forward Alex True was recalled.
- Nicolas Roy and Zach Whitecloud are back, after being in a paper transaction yesterday for the Vegas Golden Knights. Roy has to be used to this by now, after spending nearly the whole season bouncing up and down between the two levels.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned defenseman Dennis Gilbert to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Gilbert has split his season almost evenly between the two teams, with 20 games for Chicago and 15 gmes for Rockford. He’s still looking to find consistent production in either place.
- Daniel Sprong is back up with the Anaheim Ducks. The Dutch winger has been recalled from the AHL and hopes to stick longer than he has in numerous short trips this season. It will help if he can improve on just two points in eight games thus far with Anaheim.
Western Notes: Vegas AHL Affiliate, Minnesota, Winnipeg
Just recently, the Vegas Golden Knights were reportedly working on purchasing an AHL team and bringing it to Las Vegas to be their new minor league affiliate as quickly as next season, possibly calling them the Henderson Silver Knights. While it looked to be just speculation, it looks to be true as the Chicago Sun-Times’ Brian Sandalow writes that Vegas’ current AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, are expected to find a new franchise to work with starting next season.
“The Chicago Wolves will be here next season,” chairman Don Levin told the Sun-Times before the Wolves beat the Manitoba Moose 5-2 on Saturday. “But I don’t know who we’ll be affiliated with.”
Levin went on to say that there is “no scenario at all” in which the Wolves would be affiliated with the Vegas Golden Knights next season. He added that he’s heard that Vegas has talked to every independent team if they wanted to sell, but hasn’t heard whether the Golden Knights’ franchise has found a buyer.
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that changes in Minnesota may be coming soon after the Minnesota Wild suffered an embarrassing 4-0 shutout loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. While the scribe is just conjecturing, he said that it might not be coincidence that the entire Minnesota front office is in town, including advisor Jack Ferreira and general manager Bill Guerin looked upset and stood for 10 straight minutes after David Pastrnak scored to give Boston a 4-0 lead. The team has quite a few issues to deal with, the most challenging is the fact that it has just one unrestricted free agent coming off the books this summer in Mikko Koivu.
- The Winnipeg Jets and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will soon have to make a decision about whether the team will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. After a big victory over the first-place Blues Saturday, The Athletic’s Murat Ates (subscription required) writes that what the Jets need more than anything is secondary scoring. The team is without their top two checkers in Adam Lowry and Mathieu Perreault, both injured, meaning instead of sending out their checking line to stop the opposing team’s top line, Winnipeg is now forced to send their top line out instead. The team needs help in its secondary scoring, although the play of Jack Roslovic of late could make quite a difference if he can keep it up. The team could have some cap room to work if it’s true that Dustin Byfuglien will miss the season due to injury.