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Minor Transactions: 11/25/24

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There have been quite a few paper transactions made across the NHL today as teams continue to try to save every little bit of cap room they can.  Here’s a rundown of today’s moves, per the AHL’s transactions log.

  • The Oilers have reassigned defenseman Josh Brown and forward Drake Caggiula to AHL Bakersfield. Brown has been shuffled back and forth in recent days while Caggiula was recalled back on Thursday.  Edmonton is off until Friday and the moves allow them to dip out of using LTIR and bank a small amount of cap space for the next few days.  At least one of them, if not both, will likely be recalled later in the week.
  • A day after being papered down, the Bruins have recalled forward Marc McLaughlin and defenseman Jordan Oesterle from AHL Providence. McLaughlin hasn’t played for Boston yet this season while Oesterle suited up three times earlier this month.
  • The Hurricanes have recalled winger Jackson Blake and goaltender Spencer Martin from their latest paper loan to AHL Chicago. Both players have been shuffled back and forth routinely in cap-saving moves.
  • A day after the Devils loaned wingers Shane Bowers and Nolan Foote along with defenseman Nick DeSimone to AHL Utica, the trio was recalled today. Sunday’s demotions allowed them to clear LTIR for the day but they are back to using it for the time being now.
  • After being papered down on Sunday, the Golden Knights have recalled wingers Mason Morelli and Callahan Burke, who scored his first NHL goal on Saturday in a win over Montreal. They also brought back blueliner Robert Hagg who was both recalled (on an emergency basis) and sent down on Saturday.  Hagg’s recall moves Vegas back into using LTIR for now.

Rangers Recall Brett Berard, Ruhwedel And Mancini Assigned To AHL

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The New York Rangers have recalled forward Brett Berard from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League and have assigned defensemen Victor Mancini and Chad Ruhwedel to the AHL.

A former fifth-round pick in 2020, Berard will have an opportunity to make his NHL debut in just his second full season with the Wolf Pack after spending three seasons with Providence College of the NCAA. The 22-year-old had 25 goals and 23 assists in 71 AHL games last season and has produced better offensive numbers this season with seven goals and six assists in 16 AHL games thus far.

Going back to the AHL is Mancini, who himself is a former fifth-round pick (2022) and is in his second season of professional hockey, although he played just seven AHL games last season. The Hancock, Michigan native has dressed in ten NHL games for the Rangers this season and has produced decent offensive numbers with a goal and three assists while averaging 15:25 of ice time per game. Despite the offensive numbers, Mancini has been overwhelmed on the possession front, posting an abysmal 36.3 CF% at even strength.

Also headed to Hartford is veteran Ruhwedel. The former Stanley Cup champion has rarely seen AHL action since becoming an NHL regular in 2017-18. Ruhwedel played out a series of short-term one-way NHL contracts but had to settle for a two-way deal this past summer. This year the 34-year-old has played sparingly, with just one scoreless NHL appearance and seven AHL games.

The demotion of two defensemen to the AHL likely means that Zachary Jones will return to the Rangers lineup sooner rather than later.

Jets Recall Ville Heinola, Place Dylan Samberg On IR

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The Winnipeg Jets have placed Dylan Samberg on injured reserve with a broken foot. Samberg suffered the injury in the second period of Winnipeg’s Saturday matchup against Nashville, blocking a Steven Stamkos slapshot with his skate and immediately leaving the ice. Winnipeg has also recalled the oft-injured Ville Heinola from an AHL conditioning stint in a corresponding move, setting him up to make his season debut after starting the year on the season-open non-roster list. Heinola had surgery on his ankle in September.

Samberg has served a top role for Winnipeg all season long, recording six points through 21 games while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time. He’s once again serving next to Neal Pionk, the same role that Samberg recorded a career-high 31 points in last season. He’s dug his feet in as yet another evergreen defensive-defenseman in the Jets lineup. That role was stamped this summer when the Jets signed Samberg to a four-year, $19.6MM contract extension. He’s recorded 83 points across 316 games with Winnipeg, bringing his career totals to 147 points in 575 games.

Heinola will offer a quick substitute for Samberg, returning to the NHL after scoring one assist in two games on his AHL conditioning stint. Heinola spent all of the 2023-24 campaign in the minors, scoring 27 points in 41 games with the Manitoba Moose. He’s yet to vindicate a 20th-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft despite being in North American pros since 2019-20. He jumped into the NHL right away, recording five points in his first eight games with the Jets – but failed to maintain that scoring through injury and moves to the AHL and a return to Finland’s Liiga during the COVID-19 season of 2020-21.

Heinola played in five NHL games at the tail-end of that year, going without any scoring – even despite 11 points in 19 AHL games. He’s since bounced between Winnipeg and Manitoba, intercut by routine trips to injured reserve. Heinola has totaled 11 points in 35 career NHL games and a much-more productive 103 points in 154 AHL games.

Hurricanes Activate Seth Jarvis, Recall Yaniv Perets, Assign Ty Smith

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The Carolina Hurricanes have activated top forward Seth Jarvis from injured reserved. Jarvis missed the last seven games with an upper-body injury. He returned to practice in a no-contact jersey on November 19th. In a corresponding move, Carolina also recalled goaltender Yaniv Perets and assigned defender Ty Smith.

Jarvis will return ahead of a three-game homestand for the Hurricanes, giving a much-needed boost to a Carolina offense that got outscored by New Jersey and Columbus in their last two outings. Jarvis has 11 points through 13 games this season, returning to a pivotal role in the team’s top-six and special teams. He’s coming off a prolific 2023-24 campaign, scoring 33 goals and 67 points despite playing most of the season injured. The 22-year-old has established himself as a pillar of the Carolina lineup, and will now get a chance to get back to point-per-game scoring. His return will likely bump William Carrier or Tyson Jost out of the lineup, with Eric Robinson hanging onto his role with four points in his last four games.

Carolina also bolsters their net with this move, recalling Perets following a scary injury to de facto starter Pyotr Kochetkov. No update on Kochetkov’s prognosis has been given, but Perets’ recall suggests Carolina will deal with at least a few days without their top netminder. They’ll now have to decide between Spencer Martin and Perets for the starting role. Martin has a 1-2-1 record and .870 save percentage through five NHL games this year. Perets hasn’t made his first career NHL start yet, but has stepped into three AHL games – with a .825 save percentage through three games. With both goalies on NHL recalls, the Chicago Wolves are left with Dustin Tokarski and Ruslan Khazheyev in their net.

The Hurricanes will move forward with an improved offense, but tattered goaltending room. They’re 6-3-1 through their last 10 games, outscoring opponents 39-to-28.

Tim Gettinger Clears Waivers; Reassigned To AHL

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11/24: The Red Wings confirm that Gettinger has safely passed through waivers. The organization announced Gettinger has officially been activated from the season-opening injured reserve and has been reassigned to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

11/23: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier today that the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Tim Gettinger on waivers. If he clears by tomorrow afternoon, Detroit will reassign Gettinger to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Gettinger hasn’t suited up for the Red Wings yet this season despite requiring waivers to return to the AHL. He’s been on the organization’s season-opening injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment which has kept him off the ice until now.

After signing back-to-back one-year contracts, he’s in his second year with the Red Wings organization. He spent last season with the AHL Griffins scoring 12 goals and 25 points in 55 contests.

He was drafted with the 141st overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers. New York is where Gettinger played in his only NHL contests, skating in 16 games from 2018-2022.

He’s been a solid if unimpressive player in the AHL throughout his career scoring 74 goals and 158 points in 292 games between the Griffins and Hartford Wolf Pack. Due to the lack of experience at the NHL level, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Gettinger will go unclaimed over the next 24 hours.

Gettinger won’t have much responsibility once he fully recovers from his injury in Grand Rapids. The Griffins are one of the strongest teams in the AHL this year with an 11-4-1 through their first 16 games.

Senators Recall Zack Ostapchuk

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Zack Ostapchuk. He was assigned to the minor leagues just under two weeks ago, fitting in three games and three points with the AHL’s Belleville Senators before returning to the top lineup. Ostapchuk serves as an alternate captain for Belleville, where he has eight points in nine games this season.

Ostapchuk has also appeared in six NHL games this season. He recorded one assist – his first NHL point in 13 games through this season and last. He spent the bulk of last season in the minors, scoring 17 goals and 28 points in 69 games. He’s in just the second year of his pro career, after a prolific career in the WHL. Ostapchuk played his rookie junior season in 2019-20 and played through his draft year in 2020-21 – combining for 59 points in 66 games, good enough to earn the 39th-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Ostapchuk took on the Giants’ captaincy in the proceeding 2021-22 and held onto it until a midseason trade in 2022-23. He scored 72 points in 81 games with the Vancouver ‘C’ on his chest, and looked even better on a dazzling Winnipeg Ice roster where he managed 38 points in 34 games.

The Senators aren’t likely to need Ostapchuk right out of the gates. Instead, the top prospect will likely serve as an extra forward behind red-hot scorer Adam Gaudette on the fourth line. Ostapchuk will again be searching for his first NHL goal if, or when, he slots back into the Senators lineup.

Ducks Assign Jansen Harkins To AHL

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The Ducks have made a roster move on their off day.  Per the AHL’s transactions log, Anaheim has re-assigned forward Jansen Harkins to AHL San Diego.

Harkins is in his first season with Anaheim after signing a two-year, one-way contract with the Ducks on the second day of free agency back in July.  His $787.5K cap hit will come off the books following the demotion.

Harkins was brought up a week and a half ago and played a regular role on the fourth line during that time.  Overall, the 27-year-old has played in six games with Anaheim so far this season, picking up an assist along with 15 hits in 10:40 of playing time per night.  However, Harkins has been quite productive with the Gulls.  So far, he has tallied five goals and 12 assists in 11 games; his 1.55 points-per-game average is second-best among AHL players with five or more appearances.

With Anaheim being off until Monday, it’s possible that this is just a paper move, one that allows them to stall Harkins’ waiver clock for a couple of days.  However, it also could be a sign that one of Mason McTavish (upper body) or Brock McGinn (lower body) are on the verge of returning from their respective injuries in which case they wouldn’t need to bring Harkins back right away.

Penguins Activate Kevin Hayes, Assign Vasily Ponomarev To AHL

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The Penguins will welcome back a veteran forward to their lineup tonight against Utah.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have activated center Kevin Hayes off injured reserve.  To make room for him on the active roster, forward Vasily Ponomarev has been returned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Hayes is in his first season with Pittsburgh after St. Louis paid a second-round pick to offload the final two years of his deal (or at least half of it with Philadelphia retaining the other half) on the Penguins.  The 32-year-old is off to a bit of a quiet start as he has just three goals and one assist in his first 14 games.  However, he’s also averaging just 9:27 per night, by far a career-low.

A veteran of 727 career regular season appearances over parts of 11 years, Hayes has been a productive middleman at times and has five years of 44 or more points under his belt.  But with his playing time basically being limited to the fourth line so far this season, it’s unlikely that Hayes will get close to that mark, barring a change in role as the season progresses.

As for Ponomarev, he was recalled a week and a half ago and got into three games in that stretch, his first three games with Pittsburgh after they acquired him as part of the Jake Guentzel trade at last year’s trade deadline.  The 22-year-old was held off the scoresheet while averaging a little over nine minutes per game.

Ponomarev sustained an upper-body injury late in training camp, derailing any chance he had of making the opening roster and instead landed on season-opening IR until the end of October.  As a result, he hasn’t had much playing time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton either and he has just one assist in five games at that level.  Still early in his development, consistent playing time will be needed and he’s likelier to get that at the AHL level than battling for fourth-line action with the big club.

Kings Recall Pheonix Copley, Assign Erik Portillo To Minors

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The Kings are swapping out backup goaltenders in advance of their afternoon game against Seattle today.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario.  In a corresponding move, Erik Portillo was re-assigned to the Reign.

Copley was the backup for Los Angeles at the start of last season, following an impressive 2022-23 performance that saw him record a 2.64 GAA and a .903 SV% in 37 games.  However, he struggled early on last year and then was injured, handing the number two job to David Rittich who secured the second-string role again in training camp in the fall.

The 32-year-old has made one appearance with the Kings this season, stopping 10 of 12 shots in a mid-October appearance.  But most of his playing time has come with the Reign where he has a 3.34 GAA and a .879 SV% in seven outings so far.  He’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and is on a one-way contract worth $825K.

As for Portillo, the 24-year-old received his first NHL recall a little over a week ago but didn’t see any game action with Rittich carrying the workload in Darcy Kuemper’s absence due to injury.  He has played in five games with Ontario so far, posting a 3.02 GAA and a .891 SV%.  Last season, Portillo put up a 2.50 GAA and a .918 SV% in 39 outings with the Reign, earning him a three-year, $2.35MM contract, the final two seasons of which will carry a one-way salary.  It’s not ideal to have a young goaltender sitting without any game action for an extended stretch so he’ll go back to Ontario and get a chance to see some regular action with them.

Flyers Officially Activate Cam York, Assign Anthony Richard To AHL

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The Flyers have made a pair of roster moves heading into today’s afternoon game against Chicago.  The team announced (Twitter link) that blueliner Cam York has been activated off injured reserve as expected.  To make room for him on the active roster, forward Anthony Richard has been re-assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley.

York has been out for nearly a month, missing 13 games in the process.  Before suffering an upper-body injury in October, the 23-year-old was off to a good start to his season, picking up two goals and an assist in seven games while logging nearly 23 minutes a game of playing time.  That workload was similar to 2023-24 when he averaged 22:37 per game while adding 30 points in 82 appearances in a breakout effort for the 2019 first-round pick.

His return will certainly be a welcome one for a Philadelphia back end that has had its ups and downs this season.  He’ll be taking the place of Yegor Zamula against the Blackhawks.

As for Richard, it’s fair to say his demotion wasn’t performance-related.  The 27-year-old was recalled a little over two weeks ago and was quite productive in his limited action, notching two goals and four assists in seven games despite seeing less than 12 minutes a night of playing time.  That’s easily the most productive stretch he has had at the NHL level as he came into the year with just eight points in 24 games with three teams.

Richard is in the first season of a two-year, two-way deal he inked with Philadelphia in free agency.  A top scorer at the AHL level, he’s off to a fine start with the Phantoms as well, recording four goals and five assists in his first seven games with them.  He’ll now go back to Lehigh Valley and resume a top-line role while awaiting his next recall.  Morgan Frost will take his place in the lineup against Chicago after being a healthy scratch in recent games.

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