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Minor Transactions: 04/12/19

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The first game of each playoff series is in the books, and boy was it a wild ride. Upsets, shutouts and physical play have given us a great start to the postseason and it only continues tonight. The Columbus Blue Jackets will try to shock the world once again with a win in Tampa Bay, while the Winnipeg Jets will try to find a way to solve Jordan Binnington. As teams prepare for that action, we’ll be here keeping track of the minor moves.

  • The Winnipeg Jets returned Eric Comrie to the minor leagues yesterday, allowing him to return to the Manitoba Moose for their own playoff run. The young goaltender will likely bounce back and forth to give them an extra body at practice, but isn’t expected to suit up for any of the Jets’ games.
  • The same scenario is in place right now for the Boston Bruins and Daniel Vladar, who was up on Thursday night to serve as the emergency backup but has been reassigned to AHL Providence today.
  • Adam Clendening has been recalled by the Columbus Blue Jackets after playing last night for the Cleveland Monsters. Clendening is one of the best defensemen in the AHL and will bounce back and forth like Comrie until one of his two teams is eliminated.

AHL Announces 2018-2019 First, Second All-Star Teams

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After announcing their All-Rookie team earlier this week, the AHL have now given us their choices for the first and second All-Star Teams for 2018-19. These players were voted in by coaches, players and media all across the league. This is not the same as the rosters for the All-Star Game, instead these are the top players at each position for the entire season.

First All-Star Team:

Goaltender: Alex Nedeljkovic, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

Defenseman: John Gilmour, Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)

Defenseman: Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)

Left Wing: Daniel Carr, Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

Center: Carter Verhaeghe, Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Right Wing: Jeremy Bracco, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Second All-Star Team:

Goaltender: Shane Starrett, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*

Defenseman: Aaron Ness, Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)

Defenseman: Ethan Prow, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Left Wing: Tyler Benson, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*

Center: Chris Mueller, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Right Wing: Andrew Poturalski, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

*Also named to All-Rookie Team

Just like last season when Sami Niku and Mason Appleton made both the All-Rookie and All-Star rosters, Starrett and Benson will draw quite a bit of praise for their outstanding years. The fact that Starrett is having this much success even as an undrafted goaltender is all the more impressive, while Benson certainly delivered on his 32nd-overall selection in his first year of professional hockey.

Talented minor league wingers seem to grow on trees in Toronto, as the team once again has a player with several league accolades. Bracco is currently leading the AHL in scoring with 78 points heading into the last few games of the season, and is a good bet to challenge for a roster spot with the Maple Leafs in the future. So too will Nedeljkovic, who will likely be pushing for a full-time role with the Hurricanes pretty soon.

Minor Transactions: 04/11/19

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The NHL playoffs didn’t disappoint as they got kicked off last night with some exciting finishes, including a roaring come back by the the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Tampa Bay Lightning are now down 1-0 in their first round series after dominating the entire league during the regular season, and will have immense pressure to get back in the win column tomorrow night. For today, three games are on the schedule starting with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins reviving their rivalry. As teams prepare for this action we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Ilya Samsonov from the Hershey Bears. The 22-year old Samsonov will serve as the team’s third goaltender during the playoffs, a pretty big blow to the hopes of the Bears who have already locked up a playoff spot. Samsonov posted just an .896 save percentage in 36 games with the Bears this season, but is one of the top goaltending prospects in the world and has all the ability to put together a long AHL playoff run. Instead, he’ll work with the Capitals and allow Braden Holtby to get some rest in practice if needed.
  • Adam Clendening has been returned to the Cleveland Monsters, giving him a chance to suit up for the team tonight between NHL playoff matches. Clendening is serving as an extra defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but will likely bounce back and forth as the Monsters try to secure a playoff spot.
  • Simialrly, Cameron Gaunce was sent to the minor leagues by the Tampa Bay Lightning to help out the Syracuse Crunch. Gaunce had 43 points 57 games for the Crunch this season, his best year yet in the AHL.

AHL Notes: Smith, Sadek, Boka, Afanasyev

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After wrapping up a four-year collegiate career at Bowling Green State University, defenseman Adam Smith was ready to turn pro. While the Nashville Predators were not prepared to offer the 2016 seventh-round pick an entry-level contract, the invisible hand of the market still guided Smith to the organization. The Predators’ AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, announced a two-year AHL deal with Smith today. The contract will begin with 2019-20, as Smith finishes out this season on an amateur tryout offer. Smith, 22, is not much of an offensive asset on the blue line, but played an important role for Bowling Green en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance as a dependable defensive presence. If he continues to progress over a couple years in the minors, Smith could find himself with an NHL deal with Nashville down the road.

  • Former Big Ten rivals Jack Sadek and Nick Boka have become teammates at the pro level this last month after the duo signed amateur tryouts with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The defense pair are both recent draft picks of the Minnesota Wild – Boka in the sixth round out of the University of Michigan and Sadek in the seventh round out of the University of Minnesota, both in 2015 – but did not do quite enough in their college tenures to earn entry-level contracts right away. Instead, they were asked to show that they were worthy of a continued investment by the Wild, starting with a stint with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. Now, both players have been recalled by Iowa as the first step toward getting closer to an NHL deal. Both Sadek and Boka are right-handed shots with good size who improved over their four years in college, so there is a lot to like about the prospects. However, they both have work to do to earn an extended look with the organization.
  • The AHL may have another “true rookie” to look forward to next season. USHL standout Egor Afanasyev, who many see as a fringe first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, appears destined to follow in the footsteps of fellow imports like Klim Kostin and Martin Kaut by jumping right to the pro level next year. Afanasyev de-committed from Michigan State University earlier this year and has not been looking to join another college program next season. Meanwhile, he was drafted into the OHL by the Ottawa 67’s and had his rights traded to the Windsor Spitfires this season, but there has been little to no talk of him joining the junior squad. Instead, the Russian-born power forward clearly prefers to play in the AHL next season. He does have the size to do so; Afansyev stands 6’3″ and over 200 lbs. and plays with an edge to match. He also has the skill, as he has scored at better than a point-per-game clip this season for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the deeper analytics indicate he has been even better than that. Ultimately, the team that drafts Afanasyev will decide on what the best next step would be in his development, but as his draft stock continues to rise it is becoming increasingly likely that he makes his pro debut in 2019-20.

AHL Announces 2018-19 All-Rookie Team

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The votes have been cast, and this year’s AHL All-Rookie Team has been released. The AHL rookie teams are always a mix of top draft picks and surprising prospects, and this year is no different. The team is as follows:

Goaltender: Shane Starrett, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

Defense: Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

Defense: Mitch Reinke, San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

Forward: Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Forward: Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)

Forward: Tyler Benson, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

Obviously winning this award doesn’t guarantee NHL success, but it is a strong sign for players who will experience a long and successful professional career. The past All-Rookie teams have included many eventual NHL All-Stars, something this group will aspire to be in the future.

Bean may be the most recognizable name of the group, having been the 13th overall pick in the 2016 draft. The Hurricanes defenseman made his NHL debut this season and recorded an incredible 44 points in 70 games for the Checkers. That put him eighth among all AHL defenders (one point ahead of Reinke) and should excite Carolina fans waiting for him to get a full-time chance at the highest level. Bean is another reason why so many have speculated about a Hurricanes trade this offseason as they seem to have too many defensemen ready to play increased roles.

Perhaps most notable though is Barre-Boulet, another undrafted forward that the Lightning snapped up out of the QMJHL. The 21-year old tied for the AHL lead in goals with 33 this season and led all rookie skaters with 64 points (one ahead of Benson). While there’s certainly no guarantee that Barre-Boulet ever becomes an NHL regular, he’s in the organization that won’t hesitate to give him a chance. The Lightning have a long history of success with undrafted forwards, most recently with Yanni Gourde who just posted his second consecutive 20+ goal season in the NHL.

Minor Transactions: 04/08/19

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Though we won’t get many transactions this late in the year, teams will take the opportunity over the next few days to send some of their younger players back down to the minor leagues. The AHL season still has another few games to go, and players who are playoff-eligible in the minor leagues will not be quite done with their season even if they’ve already cleared out their NHL locker. We’ll keep track of all these minor moves right here:

  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent Sam Steel, Max Jones, Jacob Larsson and Jaycob Megna down to the San Diego Gulls, giving the AHL squad a boost as they try to lock up a playoff spot. The Gulls are currently in third place in the Pacific Division but haven’t yet clinched a spot thanks to a hard charging Tucson Roadrunners team.
  • Bobby Nardella has signed an amateur tryout with the Hershey Bears, joining the club after recently agreeing to an entry-level deal with the Washington Capitals. Nardella will be joining a Hershey team that has already locked up a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division and who have their eyes set on a Calder Cup run.
  • As if Carter Hart wasn’t enough for the Philadelphia Flyers, another young goaltender has joined the organization. Felix Sandstrom has been assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after his season in the SHL came to an end. The 22-year old goaltender signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers in 2018, and was originally selected by them in the third round of the 2015 draft.
  • With Louis Domingue returning from his minor injury, Eddie Pasquale is on his way back to the Syracuse Crunch. That’s a big deal for a team that is one of the favorites to win a Calder Cup this season. The Crunch have the second best record in the entire NHL, and have been relying on Pasquale all season. The 28-year old goaltender has a 25-12-3 record with a .916 save percentage this year.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have sent Alexander Nylander, Lawrence Pilut and Victor Olofsson back to the Rochester Americans for their playoff run, as all three are eligible to compete in the AHL postseason. The Americans have already clinched a spot and could very well make a run at the Calder Cup this season, especially with this trio of talented players back in the fold.

Minor Transactions: 04/07/19

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With the regular season ending Saturday, many teams, especially those who didn’t go to the playoffs, have decided to assign some of their younger players to the AHL to continue to get some playing time. Playoff teams could be adding to their rosters for the upcoming playoff run. Stay tuned to see transactions throughout the day.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled defenseman Jake Bean from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Bean, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, has had an impressive season in his first full season in the AHL and has been recalled several times by the Hurricanes despite having played in just two games. Bean has 13 goals and 31 assists this year with Charlotte. He will likely fill in for Calvin de Haan, who has already missed a week with an upper-body injury.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned several of their young players to join the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, including forwards Joey Anderson, Nathan Bastian, Michael McLeod and Brett Seney. Anderson has played in 34 games for New Jersey, having scored four goals and seven points. Bastian has spent most of his season with Binghamton where he has played 56 games this season, tallying 17 goals for them, while McLeod has appeared in 52 games with 31 points with Binghamton. Seney has spent more of his season with New Jersey, having scored five goals in 51 games for the NHL squad.
  • CapFriendly is reporting that the Nashville Predators have recalled forward Zac Rinaldo from his conditioning stint with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Rinaldo was assigned in Milwaukee on Apr. 2 despite undergoing what was considered to be season-ending shoulder surgery in February. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Jan. 1. He played three games for Milwaukee.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have assigned four players to return to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The team will send forwards Trent Frederic, Anton Blidh and Zach Senyshyn as well as defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to their former team. Frederic played 15 games for Boston, but didn’t register a point. Blidh played in one game, while Senyshyn played in two games, registering one goal. Lauzon played in 16 games for Boston.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned defenseman Adam Clendening to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 26-year-old has spent all but four games with Cleveland, putting up four goals and 36 points in 43 games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced a flurry of moves today as they have assigned eight players to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, including forwards Christoffer Ehn, Martin Frk, Matt Puempel and Dominic Turgeon, defensemen Jake Chelios, Joe Hicketts, Filip Hronek and Dylan McIlrath. The team also assigned goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.
  • The New York Rangers have assigned several players to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, according to the AHL transactions page. The team has returned forward Vinni Lettieri and defensemen John Gilmour and Ryan Lindgren. The 24-year-old Lettieri played 27 games for the Rangers this season, but was dominant in Hartford, posting 23 goals and 46 points in 44 games. Gilmour has also dominated in Hartford, putting up 20 goals in 66 games, while Lindgren added needed physicality for Hartford in 63 games as well.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have returned forward Corban Knight and defenseman Mark Friedman to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Knight, who was injured for much of the season, has only played in four games for Phantoms this season, putting up six points. Friedman, who made his NHL debut Saturday, has played 71 games for Lehigh Valley this season.
  • The Washington Capitals announced they have assigned forward Nathan Walker to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The 25-year-old Walker has appeared in three games for the Capitals, but will return to Hershey wher he played 54 games this season, posting 14 goals and 34 points.
  • With an injury to goaltender Corey Crawford Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled Kevin Lankinen from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. He wasn’t needed, however, and the team announced they have returned the young goaltender to the IceHogs. The 23-year-old fared well in his rookie season with Rockford, putting up a .911 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA in 18 appearances.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned defenseman Andreas Englund to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Englund played three games for Ottawa this season.
  • Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jaycob Megna cleared waivers Sunday and assigned to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The 26-year-old Megna played 28 games for the Ducks while playing 35 for the Gulls.

Buffalo Sabres Fire Head Coach Phil Housley

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Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill announced that the Sabres have fired head coach Phil Housley after two years behind the bench. The head coach went 58-84-22 in those two years and struggled to inspire a young team with a tremendous amount of talent.

Housley, who was hired without any coaching experience, often struggled to adjust his system to his team and seemed to be lacking in his post-game messages to the team. The team especially struggled in goals allowed as they were outscored 546-419 this season, allowing an average of 3.33 goals per game, which ranked 30th in the league. It’s a far cry from where the team stood in November this past season when the Sabres had the best record in the NHL and eventually plummeted to sixth overall in the Atlantic Division with a  33-39-10 overall record. Regardless, many people felt that Housley was likely to be given another year, but the team really struggled down the stretch as they lost 16 of 17 games to finish the season before winning their last two games of the season.

While Botterill and the Sabres are expected to make an extensive search for a new head coach, the team also will give serious consideration to their AHL coach, Rochester Americans head coach Chris Taylor. Other names already mentioned in association with the opening are Alain Vigneault and Todd Richards. Once the team hires a new coach, the Sabres will have had six coaches over the past seven years.

With multiple coaches having been fired during the season and the firing of Florida’s Bob Boughner this morning, there are now eight coaching positions open this offseason.

 

Metropolitan Notes: Yzerman, Rangers, Penguins, Devils

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The announcement yesterday that long-time New York Rangers president Glen Sather would be stepping down from his hockey operations role has opened up a vacancy that will be highly valued by many. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that former Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman could be one of a number of experienced players or executives with their eye on the job. Yzerman notably left his post as Tampa’s GM prior to this season and many have speculated that he would be moving on to a new team and new title this off-season. Much of that speculation has centered around his former club, the Detroit Red Wings, but Brooks believes the top job in New York would also be a desirable destination. While Brooks cites several sources, he also stops short of confirming Yzerman’s interest in the job, saying that he simply “is amenable to being wooed” and would not “necessarily accept an offer if one were to be presented.” Nevertheless, the prospect of Yzerman joining the rebuilding Rangers, who are both a popular free agent destination and a well-stocked farm system, is intriguing. Yzerman has a track record of success with the Lightning and Team Canada and could be a major asset in turning the Rangers around in short order.

  • Brooks also names current Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson as a candidate to make a lateral move over to the division rival Rangers. In fact, Brooks names Davidson and Yzerman as the two favorites to replace Sather at this point. Other possible candidates include Rangers legend and Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, another long-time Ranger and current radio analyst Dave Maloney, and the recently retired Brad Richards. Brooks believes that the Rangers will work quickly to name a new president, citing Sather himself as saying the team hopes to make the hire by at least the start of free agency, if not by the NHL Entry Draft.
  • Two exciting Pittsburgh Penguins prospects are getting a taste of the pro game for the remainder of the season. The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced that forward Jordy Bellerive and defenseman Calen Addison have been signed to amateur tryout offers and have joined the team. The Lethbridge Hurricanes teammates saw their junior season end in the first round of the WHL playoffs, but are now on to a new challenge. Bellerive, 19, was undrafted but signed as free agent with the Penguins ahead of the 2017-18 season. He has since posted 175 points in 139 games over back-to-back tremendous seasons. The Lethbridge captain is arguably the Penguins’ top forward prospect and the team will be interested to see how he looks in the minors. Meanwhile, Addison may be Pittsburgh’s top defense prospect. The small, but speedy blue liner just completed his second season of near point-per-game production and is developing into the type of puck-moving defenseman that is re-shaping the way the NHL is played. A second-round pick last year, the Penguins spent considerable draft capital on Addison, but have to be happy with his consistent offensive play and the growth of his two-way game.
  • Fans of the New Jersey Devils will be fans of the Los Angeles Kings for the final two days of the regular season. While the Ottawa Senators (aka the Colorado Avalanche) have locked up the best odds in the upcoming NHL Draft Lottery, the No. 2 spot is still up for grabs and only the Devils and Kings can claim it. New Jersey, at 70 points with one game remaining, is currently in the third spot, but L.A. has 69 points and two games remaining. Just a single point out of four could be enough to give the Devils the second-best odds at winning the first overall pick. The difference in odds between second place and third place is only 2%, but this year in particular the No. 2 spot has added value. The presumptive top two picks in the upcoming draft, forwards Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, are in a tier of their own. If the lottery yields results matching the final leagues standings, as is statistically the most likely outcome, there is a major difference between drafting second overall versus third. The Devils could move up into one of those top two spots regardless of their finish, but have the best chances with a Kings win on Friday or Saturday as well as their own loss in the season finale. New Jersey just won the draft lottery in 2017, moving from No. 5 to No. 1 and selection Nico Hischier helped fuel the team to a playoff appearance last year. Another elite young talent to pair with Hischier and a healthy Taylor Hall could again make the 2019-20 season a “worst-to-first” scenario for the Devils.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Mark Friedman

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The Philadelphia Flyers are set to debut another young defenseman, as the team recalled Mark Friedman today from the minor leagues. In his place Philippe Myers was returned to the AHL to help the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Friedman will wear #59 for the Flyers as they get ready for the final game of the season tomorrow night.

It’s been something of a pipeline of young talent on the blue line for Philadelphia in recent years, who already have players like Shayne Gostisbehere (25), Robert Hagg (24), Travis Sanheim (23), Samuel Morin (23) and Ivan Provorov (22) on the NHL roster. While Friedman obviously doesn’t come with as much hype as some of those other names, he has had a solid development path since being selected in the third round in 2014.

Attending Bowling Green State for three seasons, Friedman was named to the NCHC All-Rookie, Third and First All-Star Teams during his time there. He finished his college career in 2017 with 68 points in 121 games and jumped to the professional ranks with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In two seasons there he has continued to develop his two-way game, recording 24 points in 71 games this year. For that hard work it appears as though he’ll be rewarded with a game at the NHL level, which will also give him a little extra salary for the last few days of the season.

With one year left on his entry-level contract it still seems unlikely that Friedman will spend much time in the NHL before he hits restricted free agency, but giving him a taste of what it’s like can only help his development going forward.

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