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Minor Transactions: 11/05/19

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No third period lead is safe when the Boston Bruins are on the ice this season, as three consecutive goals by their star players put the Pittsburgh Penguins to sleep last night. Brad Marchand had another five-point evening, making him and linemate David Pastrnak the two leading scorers in the NHL. They’ll be tested tonight on the second half of a back-to-back when they face the Montreal Canadiens, but nothing seems to be able to slow down the Bruins at this point. As they and the rest of the league prepare for a full night of NHL hockey, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Nic Petan from the minor leagues, giving them another option up front for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings. Petan had five points in two games for the Toronto Marlies, proving once again that he is too good for the AHL. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s getting back into the NHL lineup though, especially if John Tavares is returning tonight for the Maple Leafs, something that is likely but has yet to be confirmed.
  • The New York Islanders have brought back Otto Koivula recalling him from the minor leagues along with Seth Helgeson. Koivula didn’t get a chance to play in the NHL during his last recall, while Helgeson has also not been given an opportunity with the Islanders despite being part of the organization for the last several seasons. The Islanders take on the Ottawa Senators tonight, looking for their tenth consecutive win.
  • Kyle Capobianco is back with the Arizona Coyotes for the time being while they deal with injuries on defense. Jordan Oesterle took a shot to the head last night against the Edmonton Oilers and may be sitting out according to Craig Morgan of The Athletic, which may provide another opportunity for Capobianco to get into some NHL action. To make room, the team has returned Michael Chaput to the AHL.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Sam Lafferty from the minor leagues, giving them another body after they were forced to use assistant coach Mark Recchi at practice today. The Penguins can’t seem to get completely healthy, though Brian Dumoulin’s absence from practice today was so that he could spend some time with his newborn child.

Minor Transactions: 11/03/19

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Only a few NHL markets will compete with football this Sunday as just two games are on the schedule for tonight. The Calgary Flames will try to continue their recent resurgence in a game against the Washington Capitals, while the Chicago Blackhawks attempt to get anything going against the Anaheim Ducks. As teams prepare for the action, we’ll be here to keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Matt Tennyson to the minor leagues once again, already the fifth transaction of the young season for the veteran defenseman. The Devils don’t have another game until Tuesday, giving them some time to make another move.
  • Joel Hanley is also on his way back to the AHL, with the Dallas Stars also off until Tuesday evening. Hanley played just 11 minutes last night for Dallas and has one point in five games this season.
  • That’s more than Otto Koivula, who didn’t get into a single game with the New York Islanders before being sent back to the AHL today. The 6’4″ winger is still waiting to make his NHL debut, but will be welcomed back to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers where he is a big part of the offense.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned goaltender Garret Sparks to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Sparks was brought up as an emergency recall as Marc-Andre Fleury was out sick. However, with the demotion of Sparks, that would suggest that Fleury is expected to be well enough to play against Columbus on Tuesday.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled Michael Chaput from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 27-year-old AHL veteran will take the place of Brad Richardson, who isn’t expected to join the team for their two-game road trip to Edmonton and Calgary. Chaput has put up five goals and six points in nine AHL games this season. He had five assists in 32 games for Montreal last season.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced they have assigned defenseman Trevor Carrick to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. The blueliner has been up and down, but has played the most of his season with the Sharks, having appeared in three games for them, as opposed to one for the Barracuda. It could also suggest that Carrick is heading to the AHL to make room for Radim Simek, who is expected to be activated off of injured reserve.
  • The Buffalo Sabres made a few moves in anticipation of their trip to Sweden. The team announced they have recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the Rochester Americans of the AHL, while the team placed defenseman Marco Scandella on injured reserve. Pilut has fared quite well in Rochester, posting a goal and six points in eight games this year. Scandella suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday’s game against the Rangers. He is expected to miss two to three weeks. The team also announced that Rochester goaltender Andrew Hammond will be accompanying Buffalo on its trip as an emergency third goaltender.

League Notes: Waiver Priority, Power Play, AHL Trades

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November 1st marks an important day on the NHL calendar, but one many may not be aware of. Fortunately, CapFriendly is here for the reminder. This day marks the official change over to the waiver priority by current NHL standings. In the first month of the season, as the sample size is too small to truly judge the weak from the strong in many cases, the league uses the reverse order of the prior year’s regular season standings as the waiver priority for all of October. Up until now, the Ottawa Senators have had the first chance at available players on waivers, followed by the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and all the way to the Tampa Bay Lighting. But as of today, the top priority goes to… well, the Kings, who move up just one spot. The Senators slide back to third, with the Minnesota Wild occupying the second position. As of right now, it is the Boston Bruins who have the very last opportunity to claim a player on waivers. Waiver priority will now change constantly based on the reverse order of the league standings by points percentage.

However, at the current rate, waiver priority won’t matter too much this season. The Winnipeg Jets, who have occupied the 22nd waiver priority spot until today, have claimed defensemen Carl Dahlstrom and Luca Sbisa, and the Arizona Coyotes, who previously held spot No. 14, claimed goaltender Eric Comrie. Those have been the only claims thus far in 2019-20, an unusually low count even this early in the season.

  • The mark of success so far this season? Power play efficiency. As John Dietz of the Chicago Daily Herald points out, there is no stronger correlation between wins and losses this year than how a team performs man-up. The top six teams in power play percentage are all also among the top nine in points percentage. This includes the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres at No. 1 and 2 in both statistics. Down at the bottom, five of the six worst power play teams are among the bottom the eight teams in points percentage. The only outlier appears to be the Anaheim Ducks, who have managed to overcome a 29th-ranked power play thus far to get off to an 8-6-0 start. As the skill level in the NHL improves each year and the game becomes more about using space to create offense, it only makes sense that man-up efficiency will matter more and more, with the start to this season as the perfect example.
  • A strange occurrence early on this season has also been not one, but two AHL trades. AHL trades are extremely rare, as the NHL teams that manage their farm team rosters often lack any incentive to make such a deal. In general, the only motivation to make a deal that solely impacts an AHL squad is to improve depth at a certain position, either to avoid the overexposure of prospects or, later in the year, to give the team a push toward securing a playoff spot. However, even then AHL GM’s tend to eye other players on two-way NHL contracts to swap rather than players on minor league pacts. Not so far this year, though. On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Griffins acquired forward Marcus Vela from San Jose Barracuda for defenseman Marcus Crawford in a move that wasn’t even about addressing depth, as Vela was immediately reassigned to the ECHL. Just two days later, the San Diego Gulls acquired veteran defenseman Ryan Johnston, a player who had been a healthy scratch for every game so far this season, from the Toronto Marlies for future considerations. Perhaps this is a new trend in organizational roster management or perhaps it is simply a coincidence, but either way it is an intriguing attachment to this young season.

New Jersey Devils Acquire Louis Domingue

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A change in agents has never worked so well. Just 24 hours after a report emerged that goaltender Louis Domingue had switched his representation in hopes of finding a trade out of Tampa Bay, a deal is done. The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have acquired Domingue from the Lightning. The return is just a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick in what is merely a small salary dump for the Bolts.

Domingue, 27, is surely ecstatic not only to be out of the crowded net in Tampa, as well as AHL Syracuse, but also to be moving into a situation where there is a realistic opportunity to see NHL action. Despite a career season last year with the Lightning in which he recorded a 21-5-0 record, Domingue found himself replaced this off-season. The Lightning opted to bring in veteran Curtis McElhinney as the number two to starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, creating a solid NHL tandem and all but sealing Domingue’s fate of being buried in the minor leagues. On top of that, they also acquired Mike Condon as part of the move to rid themselves of Ryan Callahan’s contract and then signed Scott Wedgewood and Spencer Martin, creating a complete logjam in goal. Domingue now moves to an entirely different scenario in New Jersey. The Devils have the fewest wins in the NHL and plenty of their struggles can be traced back to the net. Injury-prone veteran Cory Schneider has an .847 save percentage and 4.71 GAA and young backup MacKenzie Blackwood has not been much better, holding an .871 save percentage and 3.31 GAA. Compared to Domingue’s numbers with Tampa last year – .908 save percentage and 2.88 GAA – Domingue is already lightyears ahead of his competition. Domingue will report to AHL Binghamton for now, but it seems very likely that he will make his return to the NHL level before too long. Whether that makes a difference when it comes to New Jersey’s season is another thing.

For Tampa, they surely would have liked to get more value back for a goalie who performed well last season, but they will settle for a slight salary cap credit. While buried in the AHL, almost all of Domingue’s $1.15MM salary could be removed from the Bolts’ cap calculations. However, $75K remained, and when you’re tight against the cap ceiling as the Lightning are, every little bit helps. As for the draft pick, the conditions are that Tampa Bay will receive the pick if Domingue plays in seven NHL regular season games for New Jersey; plays in one NHL playoff game for New Jersey; or is traded by the Devils prior to the start of the 2020 NHL Draft. If none of those three additions occur, then the Lightning really did just trade Domingue for $75K in savings. Which circles back to the initial point of switching agents really paying off for the savvy netminder.

Pacific Notes: Ferland, Boucher, Elvenes

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The notable recall of Sven Baertschi on Friday morning was made possible by the placement of fellow veteran forward Micheal Ferland on injured reserve. At the time, the team did not state why Ferland was sidelined, but have since updated the situation. Head coach Travis Green revealed that Ferland has been placed in the NHL’s concussion protocol. The team gave no timeline for his return to action, quite possibly because Ferland’s history of head injuries could be complicating his condition. The Province’s Patrick Johnson believes that Ferland suffered the concussion at the hands of Kyle Clifford, as the two fought in Wednesday night’s match-up between the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. Toward the end of the fight, Clifford hit Ferland with several hard rights, and the Vancouver winger seems somewhat dazed and hesitant to retaliate. Now enduring the third documented concussion of his pro career, Ferland has opted not to change the style of his game despite the health risks, as Johnson writes that he told the Vancouver media he had “zero concerns” about his concussion history when he arrived as a free agent this off-season. Now, both the player and team just have to hope that this latest concussion didn’t inflict lasting damage that could keep him out long-term.

  • With Baertschi now back in Vancouver, the next man up for the Canucks in the event of another injury up front would very likely be Reid Boucher. Boucher has been named the AHL’s Player of the Month of October after recording ten goals and 13 points in eight games with the Utica Comets. Now in his fourth season with the Canucks organization, the 26-year-old forward saw his NHL games played drop from 38 in 2016-17 to 20 in 2017-18 to just one game last season. His minor league production held constant during that time too at or above a point-per-game pace. The difference so far this season though is the goal totals. While Boucher, once considered a top NHL prospect, has always had a nose for the net, ten goals and eight games is another level of scoring production. A forward with NHL experience enjoying a hot streak in the goal department is a nice asset for the Canucks, and Boucher has earned another shot at an NHL role if an opportunity arises in Vancouver.
  • The AHL’s Rookie of the Month comes from the rival Vegas Golden Knights. Swedish import Lucas Elvenes took home the honor with 15 points in his first ten games with the Chicago Wolves. The 2017 fifth-round pick continues to exceed expectations and, as The Athletic’s Jesse Granger writes, he is quickly becoming a prized prospect for Vegas. Elvenes, 20, was held scoreless in a dozen games in the top-level Swedish Hockey League in his draft year. The next year, he surprisingly jumped up to 16 points in 28 games and then last year took on a regular role in the SHL for Rogle BK. Now in North America, he has already surpassed his goal total from last year with four tallies to go along with eleven assists. Granger notes that there were signs of this sudden offensive development at Golden Knights training camp, but now it is on full display in the AHL. While he doubts Elvenes gets a shot at the NHL right away this season, Granger believes that Elvenes could be just what the Knights need in an otherwise barren pipeline of young prospect talent at forward.

Minor Transactions: 11/01/19

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The ghouls and goblins are finished their annual haunt and we’re on to November in the NHL regular season. With the new month comes eight games, including a prime matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals for first place in the Eastern Conference. It has been a long time since Buffalo fans could say that about their team, but after a 9-2-2 start they sit among the elite in the NHL.

As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves leading up to tonight’s action:

  • The Capitals have recalled Liam O’Brien from the minor leagues, with Nic Dowd and Evgeny Kuznetsov dealing with minor injuries. O’Brien has three points in nine AHL games this season but hasn’t suited up for an NHL contest since 2017-18.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Nic Petan to the minor leagues, perhaps in preparation for John Tavares’ return. Petan actually cleared waivers just before the season started, meaning he can be one of the players Toronto removes from the roster without risking him to the rest of the league. The team had been trying to find a landing spot for Petan to give him a better opportunity, but that doesn’t appear to have worked so far.
  • C.J. Suess has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets, giving them another forward option as they start the weekend. Suess has one goal in eight games for the Manitoba Moose this year, and would be making his NHL debut if he gets into any game action with the Jets.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have flipped William Lagesson to the minor leagues while bringing up Colby Cave, who previously cleared waivers and has spent the last few weeks with the Bakersfield Condors.
  • The Buffalo Sabres’ top goalie prospect is ready to return to action. After beginning the season on the injured reserve, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has finally been cleared to play and has been reassigned to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones by the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The first-year pro will have to work his way up from the “AA” level, but given his dominance of both the OHL and World Junior Championship last year, that likely won’t be a problem.
  • Also returning to action is Carolina Hurricanes prospect Stelio Mattheos. After helping the Charlotte Checkers capture the Calder Cup last year, Mattheos was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent treatment this summer. The Checkers announced that he will officially return to the lineup on Friday night.
  • The AHL lists the Boston Bruins as recalling forward Peter Cehlarik from AHL Providence, although the team has not formally announced the move. This could be because of some doubts as to whether Brett Ritchie will be able to go on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. If he can, the Bruins would quietly return Cehlarik to the minors. If not, Providence’s leading scorer would be a candidate to replace Ritchie in the lineup, competing with David Backes and Par Lindholm. 

Ville Heinola Sent To AHL

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Despite being one of the better Winnipeg Jets’ defensemen at times this season, Ville Heinola is headed to the minor leagues. The organization made the move today, preserving for now the first year of Heinola’s entry-level contract. The 18-year old defenseman has played in eight NHL games to this point, but will see his contract slide if he does not suit up for more than nine this season.

Selected 20th overall in June’s draft, Heinola immediately impressed the Winnipeg staff with his calm, professional play at both ends of the rink. The teenager had played a full season in Finland’s top league, logging big minutes even at such a young age. He stepped into a similar situation with Winnipeg, averaging close to 20 minutes of ice time through his first six games.

Though those numbers dropped off as the Jets started to get healthier on the back end (to the point where he has even sat as a healthy scratch), his performance in a short NHL stint should have fans excited about what comes next. Heinola recorded five points and showed he could hang at the highest level, even if he does need a little more seasoning to become a legitimate top option. The fact that he was playing at all as an 18-year old was impressive enough.

This assignment to the Manitoba Moose however may not be for the whole season. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff didn’t rule out a return to Finland for Heinola, explaining that there are still several options at this point. Wherever he plays, the cool-headed defenseman is someone to keep an eye on throughout his development.

Morning Notes: Puljujarvi, Scherbak, McGinn

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Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland will travel to Helsinki, Finland for the Karjala Cup (an international tournament) this week according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, to check in on restricted free agent Jesse Puljujarvi. The young forward is having a ton of success in his home country and away from the bright lights of the NHL, scoring 11 goals so far for Karpat in just 17 games.

As the calendar flips into November, the Oilers (or any acquiring team) now have just a month to get Puljujarvi under contract if they want him to play in the NHL this season. As an RFA, he has to be signed by December 1st in order to be eligible to play at all. As Spector writes however, leaving him in Finland all season may be the best option for the Oilers at this point.

  • Nikita Scherbak’s contract with Avangard of the KHL has been terminated, making the former Montreal Canadiens prospect a free agent once again. Scherbak had just six points in 16 games with the team this season, another disappointing outcome for a first-round pick that had such high expectations a few years ago.
  • After just two games with the Charlotte Checkers, Jamie McGinn has decided to pursue other opportunities. The veteran forward has been released from his professional tryout at his request, though it is unclear where he may land next. The 31-year old missed most of last season due to back surgery and was trying to work his way back to the NHL. In the two AHL games, he had zero points and 15 penalty minutes.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Three Players

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The Philadelphia Flyers have made several roster moves on Thursday morning, recalling Philippe Myers, German Rubtsov and Carsen Twarynski from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. To make room, the team has loaned Mikhail Vorobyev and Samuel Morin to the AHL, the latter on a conditioning stint. Scott Laughton, who underwent surgery on his right index finger yesterday, was placed on long-term injured reserve. He will be out for three to four weeks.

While Myers got his first look in the NHL last season and Twarynski started this year with the club, it is Rubtsov that will draw the most fanfare. This is the first recall for the 21-year old forward, who was drafted 22nd overall in 2016.

It’s been a long and winding road since that draft, as Rubtsov first stayed in the KHL before leaving to join the Chicoutimi Sagueneens partway through the 2016-17 season. He was on the move again the following year when he was traded from Chicoutimi to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, where he finally found some stability and went on a long QMJHL playoff run. Last season was spent in the minor leagues with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but Rubtsov suffered a shoulder injury after just 14 games and had to sit out the rest of the year.

Now back flying around the rink, the Russian forward has six points in seven games with the Phantoms and is now getting his first chance in the NHL. Even if it is just a short-term recall, it’s good news for his development and future as a Flyer.

New York Islanders Place Martin, Kuhnhackl On IR

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The New York Islanders have placed both Matt Martin and Tom Kuhnhackl on injured reserve with lower-body injuries, retroactive to October 25th. In their place, the team has recalled prospect Otto Koivula from the AHL for the first time in his career.

Martin and Kuhnackl are both expected to miss four to six weeks after suffering serious injuries, meaning Koivula and other young players may get a chance with the Islanders.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, the 21-year old forward didn’t join the Islanders organization until last season. The wait was worth it though as he performed quite well for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the AHL, recording 21 goals and 46 points in 69 games.

Not only does Koivula have some offensive upside, but he also brings a 6’4″ 225-lbs frame to the table for the Islanders, helping them replace some of the size they lost through injury. Whether he can contribute at the NHL level is still to be see, but he should get his chance.

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