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Minor Transactions: 11/14/19

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If you’re looking for NHL action tonight the league has plenty of it, with eight games on the schedule including a Western Conference tilt between two of the best centers in the league. Nathan MacKinnon will lead the Colorado Avalanche into Edmonton to face off against Connor McDavid and the Oilers, with both teams trying to continue their early season success. As teams prepare for the action, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Jonathan Ericsson and Joe Hicketts, giving them some more depth on defense for the rest of their road trip. The Red Wings are out west to take on the Los Angeles Kings tonight after defeating the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.
  • J.C. Beaudin and Jonathan Davidsson have been sent to the AHL by the Ottawa Senators, as Logan Brown is ready to return to action. Brown has two points in four games with the team this season after his agent was outspoken about his lack of NHL opportunity so far.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Rhett Gardner, bringing him up for the second time this season. Gardner got into seven games with Dallas last time around, but is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • San Jose Sharks defenseman Dalton Prout has been recalled from his conditioning stint and is expected to play tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. The 29-year old has just one game under his belt so far with the Sharks after signing a one-year, $800K contract this summer.

Zach Senyshyn Out Four Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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The Boston Bruins were giving young forward Zach Senyshyn a chance to finally prove himself at the NHL level, but that has come to an abrupt end. Senyshyn has been ruled out with a lower-body injury and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks. In his place, the Bruins have recalled Trent Frederic from the AHL.

It’s an unfortunate turn for Senyshyn, who needs every chance he can get to try and rid himself of the “bust” label that he has already received. Though just 22 years old (with plenty of time to find success), Senyshyn will always be compared to the three players selected directly after him in 2015—Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor and Thomas Chabot.

While that critique isn’t fair of any young player, Senyshyn was at least starting to turn things around by recording two points in four games for the Bruins this year. Now he’ll have to watch and wait for the next month hoping he gets another opportunity.

Adam Boqvist Returned To AHL

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The Chicago Blackhawks will be getting Connor Murphy back soon, meaning they had to move out one of their defensemen. They’ve decided that will be 19-year old Adam Boqvist, who has been reassigned to the Rockford IceHogs after six games with the NHL club. Since Boqvist didn’t play in ten games, his entry-level contract is still eligible to slide another year. That is assuming of course that he doesn’t return at some point later in the season.

Boqvist made quite an impact in his short time in Chicago, scoring his first NHL goal and generally looking dynamic whenever the puck was on his stick. Some of the expected troubles in the defensive zone were apparent, but his overall impact will likely be judged as positive.

That’s a strong sign for his future in the NHL, given that he is still young enough to be playing junior hockey. The eighth overall pick from 2018 is a key building block for the Blackhawks’ future.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Caleb Jones

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The Edmonton Oilers have made a pair of transactions this evening, recalling Caleb Jones and placing Brandon Manning on injured reserve. Manning lands on the disabled list with a hand injury, but it will give another opportunity to one of the exciting prospects in the Oilers organization.

Jones, 22, was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft but quickly became a prospect to remember. His production exploded after deciding to make the jump to the CHL, recording 55 points as a rookie for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. His continued success there landed him a spot on the Canadian World Junior team during the 2016-17 season, where he won a gold medal.

Since joining the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, things haven’t really slowed down for Jones as he has brought his excellent puck-moving skills to the professional level. Last season saw him get 17 games with the Oilers, in which he recorded six points. With ten through his first 13 AHL games this season it was only a matter of time before he got another sniff at the NHL level.

Colorado Avalanche Facing Tricky Goaltending Situation

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4:42pm: Well, that was fast. The Avalanche have recalled Bibeau from the AHL, though it is not clear if he could actually play for the team if they needed him. He last played for the Eagles on October 4th.

4:33pm: The Colorado Avalanche got an outstanding performance from Adam Werner in his first NHL appearance last night, stopping all 40 shots in a shutout of the Winnipeg Jets. Werner had been called up to serve as a backup goaltender for Colorado, but ended up in the net when Pavel Francouz suffered an injury just 31 seconds into the game. Philipp Grubauer, the team’s regular starter was already missing the game due to an injury of his own.

Though details on Francouz’ injury are few, Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now has heard that the team will recall another goaltender. Who that might be is a bit of a mystery however, as the only other goaltender under an NHL contract in the organization is Antoine Bibeau, who is dealing with his own injury and has played just a single game for the Colorado Eagles this season.

Grubauer is nearing a return, but if he and Francouz both aren’t ready to go tomorrow night it poses a problem for the Avalanche. Either they can dress one of their injured goaltenders with no intent of playing him, giving the net to Werner regardless of what happens, or find another way of getting an NHL goalie on the roster in time. That could either be through trade or a free agent signing, including potentially extending an NHL contract to Hunter Miska, the other Eagles’ goaltender. Miska is currently on an AHL deal, signed after the Arizona Coyotes did not issue him a qualifying offer this summer.

The team did send Logan O’Connor down to the AHL today, opening up another roster spot. They could also place Francouz on injured reserve, but Grubauer would need to be activated in order to dress, even if there was no intent to put him in the game.

Minor Transactions: 11/09/19

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The Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning squared off in Stockholm, Sweden yesterday in the first of their two NHL Global Series games. Yet, the international event was overshadowed by the result of another game between Atlantic Division opponents later in the day. The Detroit Red Wings, keepers of the league’s worst record, knocked off the Boston Bruins in convincing fashion, bumping them from their position as the league’s best record holder in the process. The pair of contests made for a noteworthy day in the NHL, despite just eight teams taking the ice. Buffalo and Tampa are back it today along with 20 other clubs on a busy Saturday. There will be NHL action spanning about 12 hours from start to finish and early indications are that there will be plenty of minor moves to accompany the action. Keep up with those transactions here:

  • Alex Lintuniemi didn’t engage in contract termination talks with the Carolina Hurricanes without a plan in place. Less than 24 hours after clearing unconditional waivers, the Finnish defenseman has found a new home. The Lahti Pelicans of the Liiga have announced a one-year contract with Lintuniemi. While the 2014 second-round pick never panned out in North America, Lintuniemi and his physical, two-way game will undoubtedly provide a major boost for the Pelicans, one of the weakest teams in Finland’s top league.
  • Mired in an injury-driven slump, the Colorado Avalanche are trying to shake things up to find a way out of their current struggles. The AHL Eagles announced that their parent club has recalled veteran forward Jayson Megna. Megna, 29, has over 100 games of NHL experience, but 58 of them came in one season with the Vancouver Canucks. Otherwise, he has never played in more than a dozen games at the top level in one season. Yet, in his first year with Colorado, he has already played in four games with the Avs through the first month of the season and could be suiting up for this fifth on Saturday. Although, it’s worth noting that he has been held scoreless thus far and could be sent back down after another unproductive appearance.
  • Colin White’s conditioning stint in the minors didn’t last long. The Ottawa Senators sent the Boston College product down to AHL Belleville on Thursday, allowed him to play for the team last night (he recorded two assists), and have now called him back up this morning. White has just two points in eight games so far this season, a far cry from his near 50-point pace from last season, and the Senators hope that he can get going as soon as possible.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced that they have assigned goaltender Eric Comrie to Tucson of the AHL on a conditioning stint.  Comrie was claimed off waivers at the start of the season with Antti Raanta not available to start the year but has since served as their third-stringer and as a result, he has yet to play so far this season.  Conditioning stints can only last up to two weeks so this won’t clear up the logjam for very long but it will at least give him a chance to work off some of the rust.  Comrie will count against Arizona’s 23-man NHL roster while on this assignment.
  • After carrying just six defensemen following the injury to Josh Manson, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled blueliner Simon Benoit from San Diego of the AHL, reports Elliott Teaford of The Athletic.  Benoit is in his second professional season but the first of his entry-level deal after he signed back in March.  This will be his first stint at the NHL level.
  • CapFriendly reports that the San Jose Sharks have assigned forward Lean Bergmann to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. The 21-year-0ld forward, who signed out of Germany in the offseason, was recalled on Nov. 4 and played in two games for the Sharks, but he averaged just 7:41 in ATOI over those two games and had a minus-two rating against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. He has one assist in eight games.
  • The New York Islanders announced they have assigned forwards Otto Koivula and Cole Bardreau to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. The 21-year-old Koivula has been up and down the last week, but still has yet to make an appearance for the Islanders. He has two goals and two assists in eight games with Bridgeport. The 26-year-old Bardreau has fared well in his NHL debut this season. He has now appeared in nine games for the Islanders this year with a goal and an assist and 15 hits.

Prospect Notes: Bjorkqvist, King, Samuelsson

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The first professional season for Kasper Bjorkqvist will not be what he or many Penguins fans had hoped. The former Providence College captain entered the year with high expectations after back-to-back strong seasons of NCAA play and looked like the exact type of intelligent and hard-working two-way forward that Pittsburgh could use. It was not a major surprise that he did not break camp with the NHL club, but there remained speculation that he would not have to spend much time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before earning his first career recall. Unfortunately, as it turns out he will have to wait until next year at the earliest for that promotion. Just six games into his AHL season, Bjorkqvist suffered a knee injury and was sidelined. WBS beat writer Jason Iacona now reports that Bjorkqvist has undergone surgery on his knee and the expected timeline for recovery is six months. As Iacona states, this essentially ends his season. The earliest conceivable return for Bjorkqvist would be during the Calder Cup playoffs, should the AHL Penguins qualify, and that’s only if the Pittsburgh brass decide it is worth it to get him back on the ice this season. Most likely, the talented Finnish winger will be shut down until next season in hopes that he can resume play at full strength and compete for an NHL role again next year.

  • If trade value at the junior level is any indication of NHL Entry Draft stock, Ben King is a 2020 draft prospect on the rise. The 17-year-old forward was dealt by the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos to the Red Deer Rebels this week for a rather hefty return of two players – including recent first-rounder Cohner Seleski – the rights to a third player, and a third-round pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. Such packages are usually reserved for veteran junior players who can be immediate difference-makers for a contender, but head coach and GM Brent Sutter clearly sees something that he likes in King and opted for the long-term play. A first-round pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, King recorded 26 points in 48 games for Swift Current in his first season with the team in 2018-19 and had eight points through his first 16 games this year. King, who usually lines up at center, has a sturdy frame and plays a patient, play-making style. He still has room to grow, both physically and in his skill development, but early expectations have been that is already in consideration for selection in the third or fourth round of the coming draft. And with this vote of confidence from the well-respected Sutter, that may just be the floor of where one might expect King to go in June.
  • A new name in Canadian juniors is Adam Samuelsson. The son of Ulf and brother of Philip and Henrik, Samuelsson comes from a strong hockey background and was once considered a future NHL prospect. However, things started going downhill when he surprisingly went undrafted out of the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2018. Then, he struggled at Boston College early last season and ended up on the bench for much of the first half of the season before leaving school to join the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. It isn’t uncommon for college players experiencing production issues or a poor fit to return to juniors before transferring to another NCAA team, but Samuelsson instead returned to Sioux City this season in a confusing move, especially considering his improved play after leaving BC. It appears now that this was simply a precursor to his true intentions. The hulking defenseman has signed on with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, who had drafted him back in 2016. The team’s press release indicates that they have been pushing to sign Samuelsson for years and the blue liner finally decided to give up on the collegiate path and head to Ontario. It remains to be seen if Samuelsson can re-assert himself as an NHL prospect, but with two years of junior eligibility, there is plenty of time to show that he is a pro-quality player like his dad and brothers.

Ottawa Senators Recall Jonathan Davidsson

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The Ottawa Senators are giving another young player his first NHL opportunity, this time recalling Jonathan Davidsson from the minor leagues to play tonight. In other moves, Colin White has been assigned to the Belleville Senators on a conditioning assignment as he continues to recover and is expected to play Friday for the AHL squad. Rudolfs Balcers is also back on the ice, though still wearing a non-contact sweater.

Davidsson, 21, was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last season as part of the Matt Duchene trade and though he doesn’t have the same hype as some of the other prospects they’ve received recently, he also shouldn’t be overlooked.

A sixth-round pick out of Sweden in 2017, Davidsson exploded in the season after his draft, recording 31 points in 52 games as a full-time player in the SHL. He followed that up with 21 points in 37 games last season for Djurgardens, and is now in his first year of professional hockey in North America.

Despite playing in Sweden last year, Davidsson actually signed his entry-level contract with Columbus in 2018—when he appeared to have a chance of making the NHL with the Blue Jackets—meaning he will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021 regardless of how much he plays with the Senators. An excellent skater with some sneaky puck skills, he’s another part of the wave of talent Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion is so excited about.

Columbus Blue Jackets Make Several Roster Moves

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have given their roster a shake up, starting with the activation of Alexandre Texier from injured reserve. The young forward has been out since October 26th. Beyond that, the team has also sent down Elvis Merzlikins and Markus Hannikainen, while recalling Adam Clendening and Matiss Kivlenieks from the AHL.

The surprising name among the bunch is Merzlikins, who has served as the Blue Jackets’ backup goaltender this season. He has just four appearances so far however, and given the team doesn’t have a back-to-back situation until the end of the month, may not be getting much more action in the NHL anytime soon. In order to keep him fresh, the team likely wants him to get some minutes in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters before coming back up.

Clendening too is an interesting recall, if only because it is for the first time this season. The 27-year old defenseman actually ended up playing in seven playoff games for the Blue Jackets last season, but was waived and sent to the minors again at the end of training camp this year. An AHL star, Clendening is off to another great start with six points in his first ten games for the Monsters.

Texier, 20, is a big part of the future for Columbus, who expect him to be a two-way force in their lineup for a long time. The young forward has three points in his first 11 games with the team but has missed the last four contests after suffering a knee injury against the Philadelphia Flyers. In that time, the Blue Jackets have gone 0-3-1 and dropped far behind in the playoff race in the Metropolitan Division.

Minor Transactions: 11/06/19

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Last night was another step in the right direction for three struggling Western Conference teams, as the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild were all victorious in their respective matchups. The same can not be said about the Los Angeles Kings, who are now 5-10 and have trade rumors swirling all about. Just two games are on the schedule tonight, and as teams prepare for that action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • With Alexandre Texier nearing a return, the Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Markus Hannikainen to the minor leagues. Hannikainen still hasn’t played in a single game for the Blue Jackets this season after suiting up 44 times in 2018-19. The 26-year old is just injury depth at this point.
  • Dominic Toninato has been recalled by the Florida Panthers, after they sent Riley Stillman back yesterday. The Panthers acquired Toninato from the Colorado Avalanche just a few months ago, and this will be his first call-up with the organization.
  • German Rubtsov’s time with the NHL club is over for now, as the Philadelphia Flyers have sent him back to the AHL and recalled Mikhail Vorobyev. In three games Rubtsov was held scoreless and still looks to have some development to do in the minor leagues. The 21-year old has played just 21 AHL games so far after injury robbed him of much of the 2018-19 season.
  • Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy are on their way back to the Chicago Wolves, the latest in a series of transactions for the pair of Vegas Golden Knights prospects. The team is using off days to bank some cap space, but could recall one or both down the road.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have sent Ashton Sautner back down, a good sign after he was forced from his only game with an injury. The 25-year old defenseman won’t be a full-time player for the Canucks this season, but is valuable injury depth.
  • Josh Mahura has been assigned to the Anaheim Ducks, another likely cap-saving move that while the team waits for their next game. The Ducks don’t play again until Sunday.
  • Zachary Senyshyn and Cameron Hughes have both been sent back down by the Boston Bruins, who don’t play again until Friday evening. At least one of the young forwards will likely be recalled at that time, but for now the team will save some cap space on the off days.
  • Jayson Megna has been returned to the AHL by the Colorado Avalanche, with T.J. Tynan taking his place on the NHL roster. The 27-year old Tynan has been on fire at the minor league level, scoring 12 points in his first ten games for the Colorado Eagles.
  • The Washington Capitals have returned Liam O’Brien to the minor leagues, giving him a chance at some playing time after sitting on the sidelines the last few days. O’Brien is an important player for the Hershey Bears, but hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since 2017-18.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced that defenseman Dennis Gilbert has been re-assigned to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The 23-year-old has split his season between the NHL and AHL, most recently getting some starts in Chicago in place of Brent Seabrook. 

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