Chicago Blackhawks Place Jean-Francois Berube On Waivers
Wednesday: Berube has cleared waivers and been assigned to the minor leagues. Collin Delia, a 23-year old goaltender in his first professional season, has been recalled. Delia signed last summer out of Merrimack College, and has now spent time in the ECHL, AHL and NHL this season.
Tuesday: Though we haven’t had much waiver action since the trade deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to use it today. The team placed goaltender Jean-Francois Berube on waivers today, likely to have him head to the AHL since he is eligible to play there. Berube was included on a paper transaction at the deadline so that he could maintain AHL eligibility, where Rockford is heading to the playoffs.
It seems very unlikely that anyone would claim Berube, after his poor performance this season and one-way deal in 2018-19. Berube hasn’t been able to help the Blackhawks in Corey Crawford‘s absence, posting an .891 save percentage in 11 games. His numbers in the minor leagues, like they’ve been his entire career, are much better.
The 26-year old goaltender is earning just $700K next season, meaning his cap hit won’t affect the Blackhawks while he’s in the minor leagues. Still, he’s not that attractive an asset as they’ll owe him the entire salary regardless of which level he plays.
Since Crawford has not skated with the team recently, the Blackhawks will likely recall another goalie (perhaps Jeff Glass) tomorrow.
Minor Transactions: 03/27/18
Just a handful of games remain in the NHL regular season, and teams are beginning to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Yesterday, the New York Islanders were knocked out of the race after their loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers. It’s been a tough season for the Islanders, who expected to be in the race in the last season of John Tavares‘ current contract. Now all Islanders eyes turn to the offseason and what their captain will decide to do.
While the Islanders wait out the last few games, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here. Check back throughout the day to stay up to date on all the comings and goings.
- The Winnipeg Jets have sent Michael Hutchinson back to the minor leagues, likely meaning he’s healthy enough to get back into game action. The Jets still have three goaltenders on their NHL roster, with Steve Mason still working his way back from a knee injury and Eric Comrie serving as backup.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have re-assigned Matthew Highmore to the minor leagues, despite playing 14 minutes last night. The young forward has two goals in his 13 games this season, but with the solid debut of Victor Ejdsell, perhaps there isn’t enough room to give him the ice time the team wants. Highmore has 35 points in the AHL this season in his first year of professional hockey.
- Last night the Detroit Red Wings recalled Joe Hicketts from the minor leagues, giving the 21-year old another chance in the big leagues. Hicketts played one game for the Red Wings earlier this year, but has spent most of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
- The Buffalo Sabres have sent Justin Bailey back to the minor leagues, as they prepare for Casey Mittelstadt‘s debut on Thursday night. Bailey has played in just 12 games with the Sabres this season, recording four points in the process.
- Alexandar Georgiev is on his way back to the minor leagues, as Henrik Lundqvist is heading back into the net. GM Jeff Gorton told media this was always the plan when they had two healthy goaltenders in the NHL, and meant nothing against Georgiev’s play in his short stint. The 22-year old goaltender has a .918 save percentage in ten NHL games so far, and has put himself into contention for the full-time backup role next year.
St. Louis Blues Sign Three College Prospects
The St. Louis Blues have announced a trio of signings yesterday, inking draft picks Nolan Stevens and Austin Poganski to two-year entry-level contracts, while also signing free agent Mitch Reinke to a two-year entry-level deal. Stevens’ and Reinke’s contracts will begin this season and will both report to the Blues this week, while Poganski will head to the AHL on an amateur tryout, and see his contract start in the 2018-19 season.
Stevens, son of Los Angeles Kings head coach John Stevens, could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer had he waited until the middle of August. He has just finished his senior season at Northeastern, where he captained the team after his brother, also named John Stevens, left for the New York Islanders organization last year. The younger Stevens is a better offensive player than his brother, and put up a college career-high 24 goals this season, trailing only Vancouver Canucks prospect and potential Hobey Baker winner Adam Gaudette for the team lead. The 21-year old is a big bodied forward that could use some time in the minor leagues, but likely used his pending free agency as leverage to start his entry-level deal this season.
Like Stevens, Poganski also could have become a free agent after four years at the University of North Dakota. The 22-year forward isn’t as creative in the offensive zone, but plays a heavy game with an emphasis on a punishing forecheck and driving to the net. Selected in the fourth round four years ago, he put up solid if unspectacular offensive numbers at UND while filling a two-way role behind more heralded prospects.
Reinke on the other hand was never drafted, but instead starred at Michigan Tech and was a big part of getting them into the NCAA tournament this year. The 22-year old defenseman moves the puck quickly and effectively, and recorded 24 points in 35 games as a sophomore this season. As the NHL sees more and more smaller, mobile defensemen enter the league, Reinke will try to be the latest to make an impact from the college ranks.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Joni Tuulola To Entry-Level Deal
Monday: The Blackhawks have officially announced the signing, and that Tuulola will report to the Rockford Icehogs for the rest of the season.
Thursday: According to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required), the Chicago Blackhawks have signed Joni Tuulola to a two-year entry-level contract. Tuulola is expected to head to the AHL for the rest of the season, now that his year in Finland is over.
Tuulola, 22, was selected in the sixth round in the 2015 draft but broke out this season playing in Vaasa, Finland. After previously recording a career-high of 14 points, he registered 30 in 58 games for Sport, leading their defense corps in scoring while taking on a much bigger role. Part of the 2016 gold medal-winning Finnish World Junior Squad, Tuulola has developed nicely over the last few years and will now try professional hockey in North America.
Though he could potentially show enough at training camp to earn a spot with the Blackhawks, Tuulola’s role is more likely on the Rockford IceHogs next season as he adapts to the different league. The Blackhawks already have six NHL defensemen under contract for next season, and will have quite a battle for playing time in the AHL.
Winnipeg Signs C.J. Suess To Entry-Level Contract
The Winnipeg Jets announced they have signed Minnesota State University – Mankato forward C.J. Suess to a one-year entry-level contract for the 2018-19 season. The Hobey Baker Award finalist has signed an amateur tryout contract and will report to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL for the rest of the season.
The 24-year-old forward played all four years with the Mavericks and put up career highs this year, scoring 22 goals to capture the WCHA scoring title and he was named WCHA Player of the Year. He is considered to be a quality skater with continually progressive skills, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe.
Due to his age, a one-year deal was the most Suess was allowed to sign for. After his one-year deal expires a year from now, he will become a restricted free agent. Suess, a 2014 fifth-round pick of the Jets, signed despite having the option to become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15 as a four-year collegiate player.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Hayden Verbeek To ELC
The Canadiens are adding another young player into the mix for a roster spot next season. Montreal announced a three-year entry-level deal with OHL forward Hayden Verbeek beginning in 2018-19. Verbeek, the nephew of Tampa Bay Lightning Assistant GM and 20-year NHLer Pat Verbeek, went undrafted and was a free agent.
Verbeek, 20, is at the end of a five-year junior career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and has enjoyed a breakout campaign in his final season. After four years of little to moderate production, the 5’10”, 183-lb. center was nearly a point-per-game player in the OHL regular season this year, recording 61 points in 67 games. Verbeek surely benefited from a supremely talented Soo squad that had the best record in the league by a wide margin and featured a laundry list of future NHLers. Yet, he still held his own, finishing fifth on the team in goals and points, ahead of top 2018 center prospect Barrett Hayton.
Verbeek is an experienced player from a respected hockey family, but his ability at the next level is still uncertain. Verbeek, like many players who sign future contracts, could see his first pro action on an amateur tryout basis with the AHL’s Laval Rocket later this season, which would be his first chance to showcase his talent against high-end competition. However, with the Greyhounds likely to make a deep playoff run, Verbeek may not experience the pros until development camp and preseason with the Candiens next season. Montreal would be remiss to not give any promising young players a shot next year, but Verbeek does seem like a more long-term project than immediate solution.
Minor Transactions: 3/25/18
There have already been a couple early moves today as the league prepares for the second-to-last week of the regular season. Expect more to come as injuries and college additions continue to shift roster makeup. Others will be made to specifically prepare for key match-ups, such as major playoff position battles today between the Penguins and Flyers and Predators and Jets. Keep track of all the action here:
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Ben Sexton from their AHL affiliate in Belleville, marking the first big-league call-up for the 26-year-old. Sexton was a leader and top scorer as a college player at Clarkson University from 2010 to 2014, but the Boston Bruins, who had drafted him in the seventh round in 2009, moved on after just two disappointing minor league campaigns. Ever since, Sexton has been much more productive in the AHL and has finally earned his first NHL shot in his first season with the Senators after posting 10 goals and 21 points in 28 games so far in 2017-18.
- Victor Ejdsell is also making his first trip to the NHL, not long after making his North American pro debut. The Chicago Blackhawks have announced Ejdsell’s promotion this morning and the 22-year-old Swedish forward could be in the lineup in short order, seeing as it was an emergency recall. Ejdsell was acquired by Chicago in the Ryan Hartman trade last month and only joined the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs last week. Ejdsell recorded 34 points in 50 games in the Swedish Hockey League this season before making the jump and notched an assist in his first AHL game.
- With backup Al Montoya suffering through a minor ailment, the Edmonton Oilers announced they are recalling Laurent Brossoit on an emergency basis. The 25-year-old goaltender and one-time back-up this year has struggled in the NHL, posting a 3.22 GAA and a .886 save percentage in 13 games this year. He’s fared slightly better with the Bakersfield Condors with a 2.72 and a .912 save percentage in 22 games. The Oilers also announced they have sent forward Brad Malone to Bakersfield. Malone had been recalled Friday, but did not play Saturday.
- The St. Louis Blues’ Samuel Blais has been up and down quite a bit in the past couple of days. The 21-year-old winger was called up Friday on an emergency basis and sent back down that night. He was recalled Saturday on an emergency basis and was assigned back to the San Antonio Rampage this morning, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He did not play in either Friday’s or Saturday’s games. The Blues have also assigned emergency fill-in Ville Husso to the San Antonio Rampage, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac. The move suggests that Blues backup Carter Hutton, who has been out with a neck injury since Mar. 3, is ready to return to the team.
Snapshots: Andersson, Chytil, Gaudette, Sikura
The New York Rangers rebuild might continue at a new level next week as NHL.com’s Dan Rosen writes that Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault, general manager Jeff Gorton and assistant general manager Chris Drury will talk later today about promoting 2017 first-round centers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil.
Both first-round picks have fared well this season. Andersson, the seventh overall pick last year, started the season in the SHL, where he put up seven goals and seven assists in 22 games. He played in the World Junior Tournament and helped Sweden to a silver medal and then came to the U.S. and joined the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. There he’s put up five goals and 14 points in 23 games. Chytil, on the other hand, started the season in New York and played two games before the team decided to assign him to Hartford. There in 44 games, Chytil, the No. 21 pick last year, has put up 11 goals and 20 assists.
Rosen said if the Vigneault, Gorton and Drury agree, the two prospects could be inserted into the Rangers’ lineup as soon as Monday.
- With the elimination of Northeastern University from the NCAA tournament, that could be good news for the Vancouver Canucks who will try to pry prized prospect Adam Gaudette from his collegiate team now that his season is over. In fact, Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal tweets that he’s heard from a source that says contract negotiations are expected to heat up tomorrow. The college junior was the Canucks fifth-round pick in 2015 and has put up 56 goals and 56 assists in his last two seasons with Northeastern. TSN’s Bob McKenzie also adds that the Canucks are expected to make a strong pitch to the 21-year-old center who is a top Hobey Baker Award candidate this year. Gaudette is expected to meet with his family/advisor soon.
- Also, as reported earlier today, Northeastern’s elimination also fuels the report that the Chicago Blackhawks and Dylan Sikura will be coming to an agreement soon. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times has a new update in which a league source has confirmed that Sikura will be in a Blackhawks uniform on Thursday.
Minor Transactions: 3/24/18
As many team continue their quest to either clinching or closing in on a playoff spot, the NHL has a full slate of 12 games scheduled with many impact games upcoming. Teams like the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues and the Florida Panthers all need victories to continue their playoff drives. The Vegas Golden Knights are also a win away from clinching their first-ever playoff spot today. Throw in multiple injuries and teams will be making many moves today to keep their rosters loaded for their playoff runs.
- The Florida Panthers recalled goaltender Harri Sateri from the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL this morning, according to FoxSports’s Steve Goldstein. With starter Roberto Luongo banged up with a minor lower-body injury, the team will turn to backup James Reimer. Sateri, who has served as the team’s emergency backup on multiple occasions this year has played in nine games with the Panthers, putting up a 2.92 GAA and a .911 save percentage.
- The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled goaltender Spencer Martin from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL as veteran Jonathan Bernier is unable to play with an infection from a cut. While having been recalled several times this season, Martin has not appeared in a game for Colorado, who are fighting to clinch a playoff spot. The 22-year-old goalie has a 3.02 GAA and a .895 save percentage in 32 games for San Antonio.
- The Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled defenseman Ashton Sautner from the Utica Comets of the AHL under emergency conditions today. The move was made after veteran defenseman Chris Tanev left Friday’s game in the third period with an undisclosed injury. This is the second time the 23-year-old Sautner has been recalled by Vancouver, but he has still not made his NHL debut yet. In 59 games, the blueliner has three goals and nine assists on the season. Sportsnet’s Rich Dhaliwal tweets that Sautner scored the game-winning overtime goal for Utica last night and could play his first NHL game in Dallas Sunday.
- CapFriendly reported that the San Jose Sharks have assigned defenseman Tim Heed to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL after being recalled Friday. He has been bouncing up and down for much of the season.
- CapFriendly also reported that the Buffalo Sabres have recalled winger Justin Bailey from the Rochester Americans of the AHL on an emergency loan. Bailey has had some success in Buffalo, picking up three goals in 12 games.
New Jersey Signs Cam Johnson To 1-Year Entry-Level Deal
The New Jersey Devils announced they have signed North Dakota senior free-agent goaltender Cameron Johnson to a one-year, entry-level contract, which will start during the 2018-19 season. In the meantime, Johnson will join the AHL’s Binghampton Devils and sign an Amateur Tryout (ATO) on Tuesday to finish out the 2017-18 season. The collegiate star finished up his senior year at North Dakota, a team that didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002.
Johnson, however, fared well for his team as the 23-year-old goalie finished the season with a 2.14 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 29 games. He did miss a month early in the season with an undisclosed injury, but came back strong. His best collegiate season came during his sophomore year when he put up a 1.66 GAA and a .935 save percentage, leading North Dakota to the NCAA National Championship in 2016. For his career, Johnson finished with a 56-26-10 record.
Johnson has broken several records for North Dakota, including having the school’s all-time record for career goals against with a 2.10. He ranks second in school history in shutouts with 12 and fourth in wins.