Toronto Loans Tim Liljegren To Sweden’s World Juniors Team
Toronto Marlies defenseman Tim Liljegren may have been hoping that his next move would be up to the Maple Leafs, but this announcement was a close second. Liljegren has been loaned to Team Sweden for the upcoming World Junior Championships, as expected.
Liljegren, 18, was drafted 17th overall by Toronto this past June and, as an overseas player, was able to jump right into AHL action this season. He has played well against older, stronger, more experienced competition, tallying nine points and a +6 rating in 17 games.
However, at the World Juniors, Liljegren will again be among players his own age with a chance to play a leadership role for Sweden. With potential 2018 #1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin and fellow 2017 first-rounder Erik Brannstrom (VGK) also manning Sweden’s blue line, it should be a talented defensive group that Liljegren is set to lead.
Minor Transactions: 12/15/17
With just a few days remaining before the holiday roster freeze hits in the NHL—teams will be unable to trade from December 19-27th—rumors are starting to heat up around the league. Petr Mrazek, Jori Lehtera and others have been reported available in their respective cities, meaning we could see some movement before Christmas. For the minor transactions, keep an eye right here as we update through the day.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced the recall of winger Nick Merkley of Tucson of the AHL. The 2015 first rounder has gotten off to a strong start in his first professional season, tallying 12 goals and 12 assists through 20 games which places him second on the Roadrunners in scoring. This is his first stint in the NHL.
Earlier updates:
- The New Jersey Devils completed a minor trade last night, sending forward Ryan Kujawinski to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forward Michael Latta. Latta has 113 NHL contests under his belt, but was stuck in the minor leagues all last season. Kujawinski on the other hand has yet to make his NHL debut, and has played just five games this season after starting the year on injured reserve. Both players will report to their respective minor league clubs.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Samuel Blais from the AHL, bringing him back after just a couple of days in the minor leagues. Blais has nine games under his belt in the NHL this season, scoring three points and showing that there may be a full-time role for him sometime down the road. In 12 AHL contests, including a 4-2 win last night in San Antonio, Blais has six goals and 14 points. The team also assigned Jordan Binnington to the AHL, while activating Carter Hutton from injured reserve. Jay Bouwmeester has taken his place on the IR.
New York Islanders Loan Josh Ho-Sang To AHL
4:15pm: Steve Bernier is the call-up for the Islanders, giving the journeyman forward another crack at the NHL. Bernier has played for six different NHL teams since being drafted 16th-overall by San Jose in 2003. Once a promising young power forward with goal scoring upside, Bernier hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2015-16 season.
10:38am: After another loss at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets last night, the New York Islanders have sent Josh Ho-Sang back to the minor leagues. While there is no guarantee this is for more than just the day, Ho-Sang is mired in a five-game pointless streak and the team doesn’t necessarily need the cap space. More likely it is an attempt to shake up the team after going 4-5-1 in their last ten and allowing 11 goals over the last two.
Ho-Sang has been the focus of displeasure from Islanders’ fans recently, as his high-risk style has resulted in more chances against than for of late. Still, he has 12 points in 21 games this season and is a dynamic offensive player. The Islanders—filled with offense suddenly, and trailing only Tampa Bay in goals for—need to find a way to keep the puck out of their own net with more regularity. Shane Prince, who is on a conditioning loan with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers could potentially be recalled in Ho-Sang’s place.
The Islanders currently sit in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but can’t afford to keep losing. In a season that must impress their star player John Tavares enough to warrant a long-term extension, missing the playoffs would be a huge problem. After acquiring Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd the last two offseasons to help their offense, the loss of Travis Hamonic seems to have really weakened them defensively. When combined with a terrible penalty kill and poor performances from both Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak in net, the team has allowed 111 goals against this season—the most in the East and only trailing Arizona league-wide.
Snapshots: Mrazek, Mete, Nylander
Petr Mrazek has been in the news recently since we found out that the Edmonton Oilers had a passing interest in the Detroit Red Wings goaltender, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet now says it may have been more than just that. Friedman joined Sportsnet 960 radio out of Calgary this morning, and explained that one source told him it was even closer than he had originally thought.
I heard they were looking at Mrazek last week, and somebody told me after we mentioned it that it was a lot closer than I had kinda thought. I think they’d worked out that Detroit was going to keep about half the money, and they were trying to figure out the draft pick.
That would mesh with what we learned from Craig Custance of The Athletic recently, that a proposed asking price for Mrazek would be a second or third-round pick depending on whether Detroit was retaining salary. It might not matter anymore, as Edmonton seems to have cooled on Mrazek after watching him more closely and the team has just welcomed Cam Talbot back off injured reserve.
- Victor Mete is busy trying to make the Canadian World Junior team after spending the early portion of the season with the Montreal Canadiens, but may have an even bigger international tournament in his future. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Mete is very much on the radar of the Canadian Olympic team, but still has some hurdles if he ever were to be invited. The Canadiens could bring Mete back to the NHL squad after the World Junior tournament, and the CHL still doesn’t have an agreement with Hockey Canada on if it will lend players to the Olympic squad. Those decisions won’t be made until after the World Juniors are over, which end on January 5th.
- Speaking of World Junior decisions, the Buffalo Sabres still haven’t made a choice on Alexander Nylander according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. Sabres GM Jason Botterill wants to see Nylander play more at the AHL level before making that decision, after an injury has taken away much of the young forward’s season so far. Nylander has been disappointing so far in his professional career, scoring just 32 points in 77 AHL games. The eighth-overall pick in 2016 has huge upside, but needs to get back on track this season.
Minor Transactions: 12/13/17
The transaction freeze is coming quickly in the NHL, as all 31 teams will lock down their rosters between December 19-27th. That means they have just a few days left to make any trades or waiver assignments they need, leading to daily intrigue around the league. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves of the day right here.
- The St. Louis Blues have swapped backup goaltenders, sending Ville Husso back to San Antonio while calling up Jordan Binnington from the Providence Bruins. The Blues of course don’t have a primary affiliate this season, which explains why their prospects are scattered throughout the league. Husso had been up to fill in for the injured Carter Hutton, but needs playing time of his own to continue his development. Enter Binnington, who can backup Jake Allen for the time being.
- The Nashville Predators have sent Frederick Gaudreau back to the AHL according to Adam Vingan of the Tenessean meaning that Scott Hartnell or Ryan Johansen are likely back tonight. Gaudreau has three points in 17 games this season.
- Ville Pokka has been recalled by the Chicago Blackhawks while Cody Franson is moved to injured reserve. The Blackhawks have been waiting for Pokka to make his mark in the NHL since acquiring him in 2014, but he’s continued to struggle with defensive miscues throughout his career. If he does get into the lineup, it would be his NHL debut and a chance to prove that his offensive value can overcome any lapses in his own end.
- Ben Harpur has been sent back to the AHL by the Ottawa Senators, though it’s not clear why yet. Head coach Guy Boucher recently said that Mark Borowiecki wasn’t close enough to return yet, and Chris Wideman is still out long-term. Harpur’s assignment leaves the Senators with just six healthy defensmen on the active roster, meaning another move is likely to follow. In the meantime the team has called up forward Nick Paul, bringing him back after his latest stint in the AHL. Paul, a 22-year old winger, has played four games with the Senators this season but has been held scoreless.
- Arizona has recalled Joel Hanley from the AHL, bringing the 26-year old back for the third time this year. Hanley has played four games for the club this year, and is eligible to be brought up and down as he cleared waivers just a week ago. The team had sent Kyle Capobianco back to the minor leagues to keep him in game action, but needed another defenseman with Niklas Hjalmarsson still not ready to return.
- The New Jersey Devils have brought Nick Lappin up from the AHL to replace Marcus Johansson, who ends up on injured reserve for the second time this year. Lappin had been tearing up the minor leagues with 12 goals in 23 games, continuing his pattern of finding the back of the net with ease. Johansson is out with an ankle bruise suffered on Saturday.
- Duncan Siemens has been reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage, as the Colorado Avalanche continue to try and spark something in the first-round pick. Siemens was selected 11th-overall in 2011, but hasn’t been able to crack the NHL for any length of time. In five career games, he has zero points.
Snapshots: Clifford, Blais, Tavares, Marchand
The Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings are about to get even stronger. The team has announced that veteran forward Kyle Clifford has been activated from the injured reserve. After missing all but the first three games of the 2017-18 season with an upper body injury, Clifford could return to the L.A. lineup as early as tonight’s match-up against the New Jersey Devils. The Kings had an open roster spot, meaning no corresponding moves were needed to activate Clifford and likely indicating that he is expected to go tonight. The two-way winger is a career King and thus a two-time Stanley Cup champ. L.A. will surely appreciate having his seven years of experience and familiarity back in the lineup.
- The St. Louis Blues, division leaders themselves, have returned Samuel Blais to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. The timing of the move is curious, given that Jaden Schwartz was just recently sidelined for six weeks and the Blues could use his offensive instincts in the lineup. Blais has only three points in nine NHL games in his rookie season, but impressed the organization in the preseason and has 13 points in 11 AHL games. With a tough game against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight and a crucial home-and-home with the Winnipeg Jets coming up this weekend, perhaps coach Mike Yeo wanted to field a more veteran, two-way lineup, especially given the absences of Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. However, the team could regret missing out on Blais’ offensive fire power if missing Schwartz is more apparent.
- The New York Islanders are still upset about the lack of league retribution handed out to the Bruins’ Brad Marchand for his high hit on Isles captain John Tavares on Saturday. En route to a 3-1 Boston win, the game did get physical and Marchand took offense to an earlier incident and undoubtedly charged at and hit Tavares. However, the five-minute major he was awarded was enough for the NHL Department of Player Safety, who announced they would not have a hearing with a familiar face in Marchand. That didn’t sit well with Islanders head coach Doug Weight, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes. “I was probably a little surprised,” Weight said, explaining “Things are targeted, things happen spontaneously, but to me, the ones that are premeditated, it’s unfortunate when we only look at results. So if Johnny lies there and he is hurt, there’d probably be something done. I don’t know the logic in that.” For now, all the Islanders can do is be thankful that Tavares wasn’t hurt and be prepared to deliver some justice themselves when the Isles face the Bruins again in their first game of 2018.
Minor Transactions: 12/12/17
The NHL has another full slate today with nine matchups around the league, including a prime tilt between the Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues. Both teams are among the very best in the NHL, and should put on an impressive show.
In the meantime, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make to get ready for tonight right here. Refresh the page throughout the day to stay up to date.
- The Blues will be without their captain for the matchup tonight, as they’ve placed Alex Pietrangelo on injured reserve. Pietrangelo has a lingering minor injury and is expected to get back into the lineup at some point later this week, but for now the team will turn to Jordan Schmaltz from the AHL. Schmaltz has 19 points in 24 games for the San Antonio Rampage this season, showing he’s too good for the minor league level. Colton Parayko and Joel Edmunsson will take on a big role in Pietrangelo’s absence.
- Matt Murray has been activated from injured reserve by the Pittsburgh Penguins, meaning Casey DeSmith is on his way back to the minor leagues. While Murray had been inching closer to a return, Tristan Jarry had been doing all he could to keep the Penguins afloat. Murray comes back to a team that is on a two-game losing streak, and finds themselves near the bottom of the clogged Metropolitan Division.
- Kasperi Kapanen has been recalled by the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Nikita Soshnikov heads to injured reserve. Soshnikov is out with a lower-body injury, though hasn’t played in a few weeks anyway. It’s unclear if Kapanen will get into the lineup for the Maple Leafs right away, but with Auston Matthews‘ availability still up in the air the team needed another extra forward.
- Tyler Bertuzzi is on his way back to the minor leagues after just a single game with the Detroit Red Wings. Bertuzzi saw just over nine minutes of ice time against St. Louis on Saturday night, but was dominated by the Blues’ deep lineup and ended the night a -3. The young forward will have to wait for another chance to impress, as Detroit struggles to find a lineup good enough to get them into the playoffs this season.
- Kevin Roy is back up with the Anaheim Ducks, after Corey Perry suffered an injury last night that will keep him out on a “week-to-week” basis. Perry had been on a four-game point streak heading into the game against Carolina, but will be the latest to miss a big chunk of games for the Ducks.
Minor Transactions: 12/11/17
Another interesting weekend in the NHL that brought some incredible matchups, not the least of which was the Tampa Bay-Winnipeg game on Saturday night. While Tampa Bay took home the victory in overtime when Brayden Point lifted a backhand past Connor Hellebuyck, the game showed just why both teams have a good chance to go deep in the playoffs this year.
Now, Monday comes with roster moves for several teams in the league. Right here we’ll update with all the minor transactions of the day, so make sure you refresh often.
- The Nashville Predators might as well have a permanent listing on these posts, as they’ve swapped their backup goaltenders once again. Juuse Saros is back up with the team, while Anders Lindback is headed for the AHL. Nashville has been moving the two back and forth all year, trying to use Saros as the NHL backup while also getting him the most development time possible. The 22-year old actually has had a poor season at both levels, a troubling trend for a team with their eyes on the Stanley Cup.
- The Winnipeg Jets have activated Steve Mason from injured reserve, meaning Eric Comrie is heading back to the AHL. Comrie was given one start during this call-up, but allowed five goals to the Florida Panthers and will have to wait for his next opportunity. He’ll likely jump right back into the net for the Manitoba Moose, with Michael Hutchinson both nicked up and a potential trade target.
- It was fun while it lasted for Kyle Capobianco, but the young defender has been sent back to the minor leagues. Capobianco, 20, made his NHL debut for the Arizona Coyotes last week but will have to wait for his next chance. He’ll return to the Tucson Roadrunners, where he has 14 points in 17 games this season.
- As expected, the Anaheim Ducks have sent Jared Boll, Jaycob Megna and Kevin Roy to the minor leagues today. Andy Welinski has been recalled and will make his NHL debut, while Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg are expected back in the lineup. Welinski is already 24, but after four successful years at UMD and then an impressive rookie year in the AHL, Ducks fans should be excited for his debut.
Minor Transactions: 12/10/17
There may only be four games on tap today, but with a busy slate yesterday that saw all but seven teams in action, there should be many squads reviewing their performances and making any necessary changes ahead of a new week:
- After being called up just yesterday, Sonny Milano is on his way back down to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters once again. The Columbus Blue Jackets announced the demotion of the struggling young forward late last night after an unimpressive performance against the Arizona Coyotes. Columbus came out on top 1-0, but Milano’s only statistic of note was one giveaway in his 8:34 time on ice. Milano has five goals and five assists in 25 games with the Jackets this season, but has scored only once since October 13th. With Columbus’ depth of talent, they don’t have to put up with that inconsistency.
- NHL.com’s Igor Eronko reports that the St. Louis Blues have recalled Ivan Barbashev from the AHL. After playing in 30 games for St. Louis in 2016-17, Barbashev has only skated in six NHL contests this season and hasn’t seen big league action since October after being held scoreless to begin the campaign. With the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Barbashev has four goals and four assists in 18 games, so the 21-year-old Russian isn’t exactly tearing up the minors either. Barbashev needs to find a rhythm this season if he hopes to stick in St. Louis and this recall is his next chance to do so.
- The Dallas Stars announced the have recalled center Jason Dickinson from the Texas Stars of the AHL this morning. The 22-year old has played in just four games with no points with the Dallas Stars this season, filling in as an emergency forward. This will be no different as the team still has Martin Hanzal out and the status of Antoine Roussel (elbow) and Greg Pateryn (thigh contusion) are both up in the air for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers. Dickinson is expected to play as the team’s fourth-line center on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. The former first-round pick from 2013 has played well in the AHL, where he has scored 13 goals in 20 games.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they have activated winger Nikita Scherbak, who has been out since Oct. 26 after requiring surgery on his right knee, and has been assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Scherbak had only played with the Canadiens for less than a week when he was injured. He was recalled on Oct. 22 after a strong start with the Rocket when he put up one goal and eight assists in six games. Struggling for offense, Montreal hoped Scherbak might be able to infuse the team with his skills, but he managed to play in just two games and averaged just 7:59 of ice time before injuring his knee.
- The Anaheim Ducks placed Joseph Blandisi, who was recently acquired as part of the Sami Vatanen and Adam Henrique trade, on injured reserve with an upper body injury. He played in two games with no points after coming over in the trade, but was injured in the Dec. 2 game against the Nashville Predators. He has missed three games and could still be activated for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The team also recalled defenseman Andrew Welinski from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old played four years with University of Minnesota-Duluth and has played well in San Diego as the blueliner has six goals and 11 assists in 21 games. This is his first callup to Anaheim.
- The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno tweets that the Vegas Golden Knights activated starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury off of injured reserve and assigned Maxime Lagace to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Fleury was reported yesterday to be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He has been out since Oct. 13 with a concussion and has played in just four games this season. The team’s leader has a 2.48 GAA and a 3-1 record. Lagace returns to Chicago after a long stint with the Golden Knights. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut this season and had some good and bad games, wrapping up with the team Saturday as he stopped 36 shots to win his sixth game of the season against the Dallas Stars. He finished his stint having played in 14 games with a 3.79 GAA and a .872 save percentage. Because Lagace was an emergency recall, he does not have to pass through waivers to return to Chicago.
Jaden Schwartz Out Six Weeks
The context behind the St. Louis Blues’ call-up of Ivan Barbashev is now clear. The Blues have announced that Jaden Schwartz suffered a right ankle injury in yesterday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. He will be re-evaluated in six weeks, during which time the team will have to lean on Barbashev or another AHL forward as his replacement.
This is a devastating blow for the red-hot Blues. Schwartz has struggled with injuries in the past but has always produced at a high level when healthy. Schwartz has 35 points in 30 games and an incredible +23 rating. Schwartz is currently second on the team in points, goals, and plus/minus behind only linemate Brayden Schenn and tied with Schenn for assists. His impact on special teams can also not be understated.
Schwartz’s absence will be quite the test for St. Louis. While they were fortunate to get Patrik Berglund back from injury before Schwartz went down and have also seen surprising production from the likes of Vladimir Sobotka, Scottie Upshall, and Dmitrij Jaskin, it will still be very difficult to make up for the loss of Schwartz for the next month and a half. Barbashev, the presumptive replacement for Schwartz as a top nine forward, had been held scoreless so far in the NHL this season and Wade Megan and Tage Thompson had the same luck in their short stints. One of those three young forwards needs to step up or else the Blues could see their lead in the Central slip away in no time, with the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets right on their tail.