Winnipeg Jets Recall Jamie Phillips From AHL
In preparation for their first round playoff matchup against the Minnesota Wild, the Winnipeg Jets have recalled goaltender Jamie Phillips from the AHL. Teams often carry three goaltenders in the playoffs in order to avoid a Scott Foster situation, but it’s unlikely that Phillips ever sees the ice.
With Eric Comrie and Michael Hutchinson manning the crease for the Manitoba Moose as they head towards the playoffs, Phillips wasn’t going to see a ton of time even in the AHL. That’s not because he doesn’t deserve it though, as the 25-year old has played well in his limited opportunities this season.
Splitting between the ECHL and AHL, Phillips actually carries a .912 save percentage in the higher league. Though that’s not world-beating, it is an impressive performance for a seventh-round pick who is in just his second year of professional hockey. Phillips starred at Michigan Tech before that, and has been solid organizational depth for the Jets the past two seasons.
Minor League Notes: Niku, Elie, Oilers
Sami Niku‘s season is just getting better, as today the AHL announced that he has been named the league’s top defenseman for the 2017-18 season. Niku had already been named to the All-Rookie and First All-Star Team, after recording 53 points in 73 games. His first year of professional hockey in North America couldn’t have gone any better—unless of course the Manitoba Moose win the Calder Cup—as he even scored his first NHL goal in the one game he played for the Winnipeg Jets.
Niku was selected in the seventh round three years ago, and is now the youngest player to ever take home top defenseman honors in the AHL. After playing well at every level so far, you can pencil him into a roster spot with the Jets in the coming years. That’s another hit for their draft and development systems, that have started to churn out NHL talent at a ridiculous rate.
- Remi Elie has been sent back to the AHL for the Texas Stars playoff run, after a successful rookie campaign with the Dallas Stars. Elie recorded 14 points in 72 games, and will now get a chance to show off in the minor leagues. Never an elite scoring talent, Elie will nevertheless be an offensive weapon for Texas, who are currently staring at a first round series with the Tucson Roadrunners. The second-round pick from 2013 won’t be waiver exempt again next season, meaning this might be his last chance to really contribute in the minor leagues for the Dallas organization.
- Similarly, the Edmonton Oilers have sent both Ethan Bear and Keegan Lowe back to the AHL to help the Bakersfield Condors in their last few matchups. Bear got into 18 games with the Oilers down the stretch, and could be a potential option for the team next season when they are looking for puck-moving right-handed defensmen. For now, both will focus on improving their play in the last few games of the AHL season and putting in an offseason of training.
Ottawa Senators Re-Assign Filip Chlapik, Colin White
The Ottawa Senators have decided the season isn’t over for Filip Chlapik or Colin White, and have re-assigned both forwards to the AHL. The Belleville Senators aren’t headed to the playoffs this year, but do have three games remaining in the regular season. While Ottawa rests and prepares for the 2018-19 season, Chlapik and White will continue their development with a few more games.
It was a somewhat disappointing season for first-round pick White, who after a pair of outstanding seasons at Boston College was expected to make an impact right away. He failed to do so, recording just six points in 21 games and spending the rest of the year in the minor leagues. Though there is no reason to believe that he can’t be a contributor as soon as next season, he hasn’t progressed as quickly as some had hoped. If Ottawa is going to bounce back from this season, he’ll be a key part of the success.
Chlapik on the other hand came in with lower expectations, a second-round pick coming off a great junior season that likely needed some seasoning in the minor leagues. The fact that he immediately seemed acclimated to the AHL pace earned him a call-up in late October, where he registered his first NHL point in his first game. Though he would go on to record just three more points in his next 19 NHL games, he has proved he can handle play at the highest level. Like White, Chlapik could see more time in the minor leagues to start 2018-19, but is a big part of any future they’re trying to build.
West Notes: Blues, Flames, Canucks
The St. Louis Blues just narrowly missed out on making the playoffs this season, losing in regulation to the Colorado Avalanche in their regular season finale – the only result that could have eliminated them from the postseason picture. To add insult to injury, the Blues have also played the 2017-18 season without an AHL affiliate, leaving fans without the consolation prize of at least watching a team of St. Louis prospects make a playoff run. Nevertheless, the team has assigned goalie Ville Husso and defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage, the team with the majority of the Blues’ minor league prospects. Yet, the Rampage sit in last place in the extremely tight AHL Pacific Division with just three games remaining. Dejected Blues fans may have to follow Beau Bennett and Wade Megan with the Chicago Wolves or Jordan Binnington with the Providence Bruins if they want a horse in the race come AHL playoff time.
- Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving told the Canadian Press that his team has a “laundry list” of issues to sort out this off-season. After making the postseason last year and, as the article notes, adding Mike Smith and Travis Hamonic last summer, missing the playoffs this year can only be seen as a disappointment and Treliving is ready to make changes. At the top of that “laundry list” is deciding what to do with head coach Glen Gulutzan. Beyond that, one list item specifically mentioned by Treliving is figuring out how to fix the Flames’ tepid power play, which finished 29th in the league and only got worse as the season wore on. As Treliving puts it, “In a league where the margins are thin, it’s not surprising that the teams that are successful in (special teams) usually have successful years, so it was critical.”
- One team that will be far less active this off-season are the Vancouver Canucks. Jeff Paterson of TSN gets the feeling that this could be one of the quietest Canuck off-seasons in years. President Trevor Linden spoke with the media today and stated that “Obviously on a day like this, we’re disappointed by not achieving all of our goals. At the same time, we’re encouraged as an organization with where we are moving forward. I think this group has an identity with its young players. That’s exciting” Paterson read this statement as saying that after back-to-back busy summers, the team is disappointed in its performance, but with a young core and plenty of depth in talented prospects, this is a team moving in the right direction. For that reason, Paterson hypothesizes that it could be a “wait and see”-type summer, writing “Outside of the National Hockey League draft lottery and the draft itself, don’t be the least bit surprised if you don’t hear a peep from the Vancouver Canucks until training camp.”
Vancouver Canucks Send Three To AHL
Now that the Vancouver Canucks’ season is over, they’ve sent Nikolay Goldobin, Tyler Motte and Ashton Sautner to the Utica Comets for their upcoming playoff run. While Sautner was up under emergency conditions and could always be sent back, both Goldobin and Motte had been involved in paper transactions at the trade deadline to make them eligible for the AHL playoffs. Reid Boucher, who is also eligible, would need to clear waivers in order to be assigned to the AHL.
The Comets have clinched their playoff spot with three games remaining, but are looking at a first round matchup with the Toronto Marlies if they can’t catch the Rochester Americans in the next few days. Though anything can happen in a playoff series, the Marlies have been the best team in the AHL for much of the season and will head in as the top seed.
Goldobin especially should be a huge help for the Comets, as he finished fifth in team scoring despite playing just 28 games in the minor leagues this season. His 30 points in those games continued the near point-per-game pace he’s set in the minors. The 22-year old forward should spend most of the season in Vancouver again next year.
Snapshots: World Championships, Wild, Mariners
Jeff Blashill will once again be the head coach of Team USA at the upcoming World Championships, with Dan Bylsma, Don Granato and Seth Appert joining him behind the bench. Blashill coached last year’s squad to a fifth-place finish, but he’ll be getting some star power this time around.
Patrick Kane has announced that he will suit up for the tournament, and he will serve as captain of Team USA. Alex DeBrincat will also be joining Kane for the US squad, a nice reward after an outstanding rookie season that saw him lead the Blackhawks with 28 goals.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Carson Soucy, and expect him to be in the lineup for Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets. They might get another huge boost on the blue line though, as Jared Spurgeon was back on the ice today at practice. Spurgeon hasn’t yet been cleared to return to game action, but was paired with Soucy at practice and will attempt to get into the lineup for Wednesday’s match.
- The New York Rangers have signed an affiliation with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL that will start in 2018-19. The Rangers had previously been affiliated with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but will now have both of their minor league partners—their AHL affiliate is the Hartford Wolf Pack—located in the northeast.
Dallas Stars Sign Tony Calderone To Entry-Level Contract
Monday: The team has officially announced the signing, confirming that it will be a two-year contract that starts in 2018-19. Calderone will join the Texas Stars on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the season.
Sunday: Mere hours after the Edmonton Oilers signed University of Michigan forward Cooper Marody to his entry-level deal, a Wolverines teammate has joined him in inking his own first pro deal. The Dallas Stars have signed forward Tony Calderone to an ELC, Calderone revealed on Instagram. The Stars have yet to confirm the deal and no term or financial details have been disclosed, but judging by Calderone’s photo, it’s safe to say the deal is done.
Calderone, 23, was a four-year starter in Ann Arbor for the Michigan Wolverines, but really took off in his senior season. Skating on the top line with Marody and Dexter Dancs – a line that shut down Northeastern’s “best line in college hockey” featuring Hobey Baker finalists Adam Gaudette and Dylan Sikura in the Northeast Regional – Calderone recorded 45 points in 40 games this season. Calderone was second on the Wolverines in points, behind only Marody, and his 25 goals paced the team by a wide margin.
The Michigan captain meets an immediate need to the Stars organization. Dallas is sorely lacking in right shot forwards, both at AHL level and in the pipeline. Barring the results of the draft, Calderone could very easily be the Stars’ top right wing prospect heading into next season. The well-rounded forward brings a smart, capable game and may even push for a spot in Dallas early on in his first pro campaign.
Western Notes: Blackhawks, Greenway, Horvat, Dahlen, Kovalchuk
Don’t expect too many changes in the Chicago Blackhawks roster this season. At least that’s what Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times writes as he examines the roster and the team’s salary cap flexibility.
Coach Joel Quenneville admitted that many things went wrong this year, but he believes that if the team comes back and all play better, the Blackhawks should return to the playoffs next season. Factor in the loss of Marian Hossa, the injury to goaltender Corey Crawford and some down years by several key players, perhaps a turnaround is possible.
“If we all collectively have better years in all aspects … I believe we’re very capable of [rebounding],” Quenneville said. “We’ve seen many games this year where we look like we could be a really good team. [It’s] just that consistency, putting that in place.”
Lazerus writes that the team should look into adding a top-four defenseman, but was quick to point out that it’s unlikely the team will go after Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson as that pricetag would be too high even though it looks as if the Blackhawks should have considerable cap space. He also adds the team desperately needs to find a quality backup goaltender to avoid the problems the team had to endure during the second half of this season.
- Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that while the Minnesota Wild’s bottom line of Tyler Ennis, Matt Cullen and Charlie Coyle has been successful of late, but head coach Bruce Boudreau might break it up as it sounds like the coach is leaning towards starting rookie Jordan Greenway over Ennis. “I don’t know where he’s going to play [in the playoffs], but I’m sure I’ll find a spot,” Boudreau said.
- Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet tweeted that Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat received an invitation to play for Canada at the upcoming world championships in Denmark this summer.
- Dhaliwal also adds that Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen will rest for a few days before reporting to the Utica Comets of the AHL. Dahlen, a prospect the Canucks acquired at the trade deadline in 2016 for Alexandre Burrows, has been lighting up the Allvenskan league and helped lead his team Timra to be promoted to Sweden’s top tier league.
- European reporter Alex Nunn tweeted that KHL star Ilya Kovalchuk has confirmed that he will spend the next two or three seasons in the NHL. Kovalchuk will be an unrestricted free agent on April 15, when he turns 35 years old.
Detroit Red Wings Place Jared Coreau On Waivers
Sunday: Coreau has cleared waivers and the Detroit Red Wings have assigned the goaltender to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James.
Saturday: Although waivers is considered a rarity at this time of year, the Detroit Red Wings have placed goaltender Jared Coreau on waivers today, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan. The move is made with the hope that he’ll clear waivers, so the team can send him to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins as that team embarks on their playoff run.
The 26-year-old spent most of this season with the Griffins as he played in 36 games for the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate. He put up solid numbers there, posting a 2.47 GAA and a .916 save percentage, but was recalled on Feb. 20 to serve as the Jimmy Howard‘s backup after the team traded away Petr Mrazek to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Coreau, who has showed promise over his career, has struggled at the NHL level, especially this year. In six games, he has a 4.35 GAA and a .876 save percentage. The team may be hoping that no team would take the chance of claiming him with his struggles at the NHL level. Interestingly enough, Coreau is expected to start for the Red Wings final regular season game today.
Minor Transactions: 4/8/18
With the Eastern Conference still undecided until today’s final regular season game, the Western Conference has no questions as the Colorado Avalanche finished off the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 victory Saturday as they clinched the final playoff spot. The Nashville Predators got the top spot and will face the Avalanche. In other first-round matchups, the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks will face the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild will face the Winnipeg Jets.
- The New York Islanders announced they have assigned forward Tanner Fritz on loan to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to help their AHL affiliate, who have four games left in their season. The 26-year-old Fritz split time between both teams, putting up three goals and seven points for the Islanders in 34 games, while scoring 10 goals and 27 assists in 33 games for Bridgeport.
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forwards John Hayden, David Kampf, Andreas Martinsen, Victor Ejdsell, Jeff Glass and Jean-Francois Berube to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL for their playoff push.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they have assigned forwards Michael McCarron and Kerby Rychel as well as defenseman Brett Lernout to the AHL’s Laval Rocket to get some more playing time in before their season ends.
- The Buffalo Sabres have announced they will send eight players to the Rochester Americans of the AHL for their playoff run, including forwards Nicholas Baptiste, Alexander Nylander and Kevin Porter; defensemen Brendan Guhle, Casey Nelson and Matt Tennyson; and goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Adam Wilcox.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent four players to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for their upcoming playoff run, according to the AHL team. The Hurricanes assigned forwards Nicolas Roy, Valentin Zykov as well as defensemen Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown. It will be a change for Fleury who spent all but one game with Carolina this season, while Zykov put up solid numbers in the NHL with seven points in 10 games.
- With the Calgary Flames season over, the team has assigned three players to the Stockton Heat of the AHL to finish out their season. The team will return defenseman Rasmus Andersson, forward Spencer Foo and goaltender Jon Gillies. Andersson played 10 games for the Flames this year, while Foo scored two goals in four games. Gillies played 11 games for Calgary, putting up a 2.88 GAA.
- The Arizona Coyotes, according to CapFriendly, have sent four players back to the Tucson Roadrunners for their playoff run, including forward Dylan Strome and defensemen Dakota Mermis, Trevor Murphy and Joel Hanley. Strome showed some success at the NHL level, putting up four goals and nine points in 21 games this season.
- The Dallas Stars have joined the fray, reassigning defenseman Dillon Heatherington and goaltender Mike McKenna to the AHL’s Texas Stars as they continue their push toward the playoffs.