Minor Transactions: 12/01/17
The calendar has turned to December, and the NHL is flush with trades and rumors. The Ducks and Devils completed a big swap, but there was also a minor trade between old foes and a waiver claim that brought a familiar face back home. Today is expected to be filled with more transactions, and we’ll keep track of the minor ones right here.
- As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have returned Linus Ullmark to the AHL after spending practice with the team yesterday. Robin Lehner was given a maintenance day, but the Sabres still wanted two goaltenders on the ice. Ullmark’s time will come with Buffalo, as he continues to impress in the minor leagues.
- Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, the Penguins have reassigned Josh Archibald to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning assignment. The 25-year-old forward hasn’t been injured; he just hasn’t played this season. Through two months of the 2017-18 season already, Archibald has skated in only two games with Pittsburgh and had to this point avoided the AHL entirely. However, a total time of 21:38 of game action means Archibald needs to get his legs back under him in the minors if he is to be of any use in the NHL this year.
- The San Jose Sharks announced that they have returned goalie Antoine Bibeau to the AHL, as he’ll head back over to the Barracuda locker room. Bibeau, 23, was arguably the biggest off-season addition that San Jose made this summer, but is still looking for his first NHL action of the year. Bibeau has a very impressive 2.04 GAA and 0.925 save-percentage in the AHL this year, but with Martin Jones and Aaron Dell putting up those kinds of numbers themselves in the NHL, it doesn’t look promising for Bibeau to see extensive big league action this season.
- The Blue Jackets have recalled defenseman Gabriel Carlsson and forward Markus Hannikainen from Cleveland of the AHL, per a team release. Both players have spent the bulk of the season with Columbus but had each been sent down within the last week to pick up a bit of playing time at the minor league level to stay in game shape.
- With Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson heading to injured reserve, the team announced that they have promoted blueliner Ryan Stanton from AHL Bakersfield. The 28-year-old has a single assist in 11 minor league games this season but is no stranger to the NHL having 120 games of experience under his belt with Chicago, Vancouver, and Washington.
- The Lightning announced that they have brought back winger Cory Conacher from Syracuse of the AHL. The veteran has played just once with Tampa Bay this season (on Saturday against Pittsburgh) but he made the most of it, scoring in that game. As usual, he has been quite productive at the minor league level, collecting 15 points in 18 games.
Trade Rumors: Canadiens, Canucks, Maple Leafs
The Montreal Canadiens are not even 12 hours into their latest trade and the team is already thinking about their next move. A report from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels states that defenseman Brandon Davidson could soon be on his way out of town. Habs GM Marc Bergevin is not just listening to offers for Davidson; he emailed the entire league informing the other 30 general managers of the blue liner’s availability. While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ian Cole is also known to be on the block right now, Davidson should come at a much lesser price and be much easier (and more timely) to move. The 26-year-old has been a frequent scratch this season and has just one point in 13 games. It wasn’t long ago that Davidson was thought to be an up-and-coming rearguard, playing major minutes for the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers after a long stretch of solid AHL play. However, when he was shipped to Montreal for a rental in David Desharnais at last year’s trade deadline, it was clear his stock had dropped. Davidson could still be a valued depth addition for many teams, though. The Canadiens likely won’t have to shop him for very long.
- Following the difficult news about Derek Dorsett, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was very clear with the media today that he won’t be looking to trade for a replacement for the veteran grinder. Instead, Benning said that the situation “gives guys a chance to play more and step up.” The Canucks plan to fill Dorsett’s void internally, with the recently-promoted Nikolay Goldobin getting the first shot. After a hot start, Vancouver has been slipping of late and more than anything needs to put the puck in the net more often. Goldobin should be an offensive upgrade over Dorsett, but can he handle a big role?
- Following the Anaheim Ducks-New Jersey Devils blockbuster today, many in the hockey media are asking a predictable question: Why weren’t the Toronto Maple Leafs in on Sami Vatanen? It feels like the Leafs have been searching for a top-pair right-shot defenseman to play alongside Morgan Rielly for years now, yet couldn’t top an offer of Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to get an elite righty puck-mover in Vatanen? Nazem Kadri is perhaps the closest comparable in the NHL to Henrique and, although three years older, Tyler Bozak compares favorably to Henrique as well. With a wealth of young talent in the AHL to boot, it seems unlikely that Lou Lamoriello and company couldn’t have outbid the Devils if they wanted to, so perhaps the better question is why didn’t they want to? In a relatively weak Atlantic Division, no one will be surprised if Toronto makes a run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year and maybe farther. If they don’t reach that goal, they may find themselves regretting missing the chance to strengthen the defense both this season and beyond.
Montreal Canadiens Acquire Adam Cracknell
The Montreal Canadiens have completed a minor trade, swapping minor league forward Peter Holland for Adam Cracknell from the New York Rangers. Cracknell was claimed off waivers from the Dallas Stars earlier this year, but will report directly to the AHL’s Laval Rocket for the time being.
While this is just a minor league swap on paper, both players have considerable NHL experience. Holland was a first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2009 but could never quite find a role as a top-six center in any of his previous stops. A natural puck-carrying forward, his offense has been limited throughout his career. For Laval this season, he had 18 points in 20 games and will certainly improve the Hartford attack.
Cracknell on the other hand has always been a hard working bottom-six player, but actually had 10 goals last season for the Stars. He was waived early on but couldn’t catch on in New York either. The 32-year old could add some size to Montreal’s group if called up, but is likely just a minor league depth addition at this point.
Minor Transactions: 11/30/17
The NHL is back at it with seven games scheduled for tonight, including another meeting of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews in Edmonton. Both young superstars are riding five-game goalless droughts, which could mean a high-scoring affair is in order if either breaks out. Matthews was held without a shot for the first time in his career on Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames, something that seems unlikely to repeat. The league will surely have several transactions today as teams get ready for the weekend, and as always we’ll keep track of them right here.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled goaltender Linus Ullmark from Rochester, a transaction that interestingly includes “for practice” in its release. It’s not clear which goaltender is being held out today or for what reason, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens at practice. The Sabres play the Penguins tomorrow night at home, before heading to Pittsburgh for the second half of a back-to-back. It could simply be because of Ullmark’s strong play in the AHL, as Chad Johnson certainly hasn’t won any fans in his return to Buffalo. Through 10 appearances, Johnson has an .885 save percentage.
- The Nashville Predators have swapped backup goaltenders once again, recalling Anders Lindback and assigning Juuse Saros to the AHL. The team has done this throughout the season to get playing time for both men, even with Saros’ struggles at both levels.
Nate Prosser, Kyle Quincey, Jordin Tootoo Placed On Waivers
The St. Louis Blues will be forced to make a move as Patrik Berglund returns from injured reserve, and it is Nate Prosser exposed to waivers this time around after being absent from the morning skate. Prosser had played in just one game this season with the Blues, but the team had shielded him from waivers even when it meant carrying eight healthy defensemen for long stretches. Now the 31-year old will be up for grabs, though a claim is far from certain.
Prosser signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Blues this summer after spending the first eight seasons of his professional career with the Minnesota Wild. An undrafted free agent out of Colorado College, Prosser jumped right to the NHL in 2010 and has played 238 games since. Though he’s never played more than 63 games in a single season, he is a potential depth option for teams looking for a bit of help on the back end. The 6’2″ 206-lbs defender is a capable penalty killer known for his shot blocking, and is willing to engage physically when needed.
If he does clear, he’ll St. Louis will have to decide where exactly to send him. The Blues are operating without a primary AHL affiliate this season, instead sending players to the Chicago Wolves, San Antonio Rampage and other clubs. Next season will see them start a five-year agreement with San Antonio, but Prosser could end up anywhere on loan if they feel there isn’t a spot for him there.
The Minnesota Wild will similarly make a veteran defenseman available by placing Kyle Quincey on waivers. Quincey is on a one-year, $1.25MM contract with the Wild but has been generally underwhelming in his 18 games. The former Detroit Red Wings defenseman hasn’t been able to find a home on three different clubs in the past year, and looks like his NHL viability is coming to an end.
Quincey was once a very effective two-way option in the league, even recording a career-high 38 points in 2008-09 with Los Angeles. The 32-year old had just three this season though, and has clearly lost a step in both ends of the rink. With Minnesota pushing right up against the salary cap ceiling this year, burying Quincey in the minors (if he’s not claimed) would save them a prorated $1.025MM and allow some breathing room. With younger, more affordable options available to them it seemed only a matter of time before he was waived.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes that Minnesota had previously let teams around the league know Quincey was available, which could perhaps mean a deal is coming should he clear. Like we saw with Calvin Pickard earlier in the year, clearing waivers and gaining the ability to be sent to the minors actually improves a player’s trade value somewhat. Should he clear, it would also mean the Wild would have the ability to bring him up and down without waivers for 30 days on the active roster, or 10 NHL games. It wouldn’t change how much actual money they pay him, but they could use that to manipulate the salary cap and bank some extra space by having Quincey technically in the minors on off days.
Jordin Tootoo is the third player on waivers, likely meaning he’s now healthy enough to return from his long-term injured reserve stint. It will be interesting to see what happens to the veteran forward, as the Blackhawks don’t seem to have room for him on the NHL roster at the moment. Tootoo signed a one-year, $700K contract extension with the Blackhawks last season to help with expansion draft requirements, but hasn’t suited up this season so far.
Aaron Ness of the Washington Capitals has cleared and can be assigned to Hershey of the AHL.
Minor Transactions: 11/29/17
The NHL was busy last night with twenty teams taking the ice to try and continue or turn their seasons around. Today is much quieter with only four games on the docket, meaning teams there will likely be several fringe roster moves to get ready for the rest of the week. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor transactions right here. Be sure to check back throughout the day.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have returned Gabriel Carlsson and Jordan Schroeder to the AHL. Carlsson was called up yesterday on emergency conditions when Ryan Murray couldn’t go last night. Schroeder had played six games for the Blue Jackets, but cleared waivers already this season and can be moved up and down for the time being without having to go through the process again.
- The Calgary Flames have recalled Garnet Hathaway from the Stockton Heat of the AHL, while placing Kris Versteeg on injured reserve. Versteeg is out with a lower-body injury and has missed the last two games for the Flames already. Hathaway meanwhile has 19 points in 18 games for the Heat, and can offer a bit of size and energy to the Calgary lineup should he be inserted. The Flames lost 4-1 at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, a game in which they were thoroughly outplayed.
- After clearing waivers, the Washington Capitals have sent Aaron Ness to Hershey of the AHL. Ness’ departure opens the door for a return of Christian Djoos to the Washington lineup, which is expected tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings.
- Danick Martel is headed back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after a short stint with Philadelphia. Martel played four games with the Flyers over the past week, but wasn’t able to record his first NHL point. The 22-year old was signed out of the QMJHL in 2015 after going undrafted, and has been a solid offensive contributor in the AHL.
- After Niklas Hjalmarsson left last night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers with an upper-body injury, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled Andrew Campbell from the AHL. Campbell signed a two-year deal to return to the Coyotes organization this summer after two seasons with Toronto, but hadn’t gotten into an NHL game yet. The 29-year old defenseman has just 42 contests and two points under his belt, and is just a short-term depth option for the club at this point.
Jakob Chychrun Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
Arizona Coyotes fans get ready, Jakob Chychrun is almost back. After getting back on the ice recently, the team has sent the young defenseman to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL on a conditioning stint to acclimate to game action. Chychrun has been working his way back from knee surgery in early August, and has made incredible progress so far.
Chychrun of course jumped right from junior hockey to the NHL last season for the Coyotes, playing in 68 games and recording 20 points. The fact that an 18-year old defenseman even held his own in the NHL was impressive enough, but Chychrun did more than just get by. The son of former NHL tough guy Jeff Chychrun, Jakob showed he had a little more offensive upside than dad, trailing only Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Alex Goligoski in points among Coyotes defenders.
An interesting case heading into his draft year, Chychrun had once been considered a potential top-3 pick with his blend of size, skill and mobility. He dropped significantly down boards though as some believed his game regressed in 2015-16, or that a lack of dedication and work ethic was shown. It may have simply been a case of Chychrun not being challenged at the junior level, as he seemed to get his drive back to make the Coyotes out of camp.
There are still some who question his decision making and offensive ceiling, but the Coyotes will certainly be happy to get him back and plug him into an overhauled defensive unit. With Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jason Demers added, the team was supposed to be a more dangerous group on the back end but have still struggled immensely to keep the puck out of their net. With 95 goals allowed (the most in the NHL), any added depth will be a tremendous help.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 11/28/17
Like always, we’ll keep an eye on all the minor transactions around the league right here. Make sure to bookmark or refresh throughout the day to keep up with all the movement.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled goaltender Casey DeSmith from the AHL while starter Matt Murray deals with a lower-body injury. Tristan Jarry will take over the lion’s share of the workload while Murray is out, but DeSmith could be called on if he falters. The Penguins, who’ve struggled with goaltending issues all season so far are now putting their faith in two unproven rookies for the time being. Jarry and DeSmith have a combined four starts in the NHL.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Gabriel Carlsson from the AHL on an emergency basis, sending Markus Hannikainen down in his place. It’s not clear why Carlsson was needed with Scott Harrington already on the roster as an extra defender, but perhaps more than one injury was sustained last night against the Montreal Canadiens. Jack Johnson did play just 15:29, his lowest total of the season.
- Colorado will welcome Anton Lindholm back off injured reserve, but it’ll cost two of their other defensemen. The team has assigned both Chris Bigras and Andrei Mironov to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, while bringing Duncan Siemans back up. Patrik Nemeth is still on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and doesn’t appear close to a return.
- The Los Angeles Kings have placed Andy Andreoff on injured reserve retroactive to November 25th. That’s the game in which Andreoff took a “Superman punch” from Kevin Bieksa, and was immediately knocked down. Bieksa is becoming infamous for that punch, as it also knocked out Radko Gudas earlier in the year. No corresponding move has been made yet by the Kings.
Snapshots: Chabot, Johansson, Berglund
Just a day after sending him down to the minors, the Ottawa Senators have called defenseman Thomas Chabot back up from AHL Belleville. The team is finding it hard to keep the promising blue liner in the AHL and for good reason. The 2015 first-round pick has looked better and better with each game played in the NHL, now with three points and a +2 rating through five 2017-18 contests. He also handled more ice time well in his most recent stint, including extensive action on the power play. In fact, Chabot’s 2:34 average power play time on ice is second only to Erik Karlsson among Ottawa defensemen. The Sens are running out of excuses to not keep their prized prospect in the big leagues, especially when he has shown superior play in the NHL versus the AHL and appears to have already outgrown the minors. There was no specific reason given by the team for this latest recall, but one would think that Chabot could be up for a longer stint this time around.
- Another fan base ready for an exciting addition back to their roster is the New Jersey Devils. Devils beat reporter Amanda Stein reported today that Marcus Johansson has been cleared to re-join the team and should be ready for New Jersey’s upcoming road trip. Johansson has not played since November 1st due to a concussion, but appears to back at full strength for a Devils team that has exceedingly outperformed expectations this season despite several medical absences. Johansson, of course, was New Jersey’s big off-season acquisition, coming over via trade from the Washington Capitals. However, Johansson has only seen ten games of action in 2017-18 and should be primed to add to his mere five points thus far when he takes the ice again this week.
- Fellow Swede and injured center Patrik Berglund appears poised for a return from injury soon as well. St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac reports that the long-time Blue could be back as early as Wednesday from off-season shoulder surgery that has kept him off the ice so far this season. Yet, like fellow core teammate Jay Bouwmeester, the Blues have hardly felt his absence this year. The NHL’s best team has been rolling in 2017-18 without Berglund, Robby Fabbri, Zach Sanford, and until recently Bouwmeester. Yet, logic would dictate the team would only get better upon Berglund’s return and that should scare the other 30 teams in the NHL.
Griffith Placed On Waivers, Laich On Unconditional Waivers
Monday: After clearing waivers, the Kings have indeed terminated Laich’s contract. It looks like the end of the line for the 34-year old, who has seen his play diminish greatly since scoring 20+ goals in three consecutive seasons earlier in his career.
Sunday: Two more players have been placed on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman, who reports that the Buffalo Sabres have placed Seth Griffith on waivers, while the Los Angeles Kings have placed Brooks Laich on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract.
Griffith didn’t just make the Buffalo squad out of training camp, but earned top-six minutes to start the season. However, he has since fallen out of favor. He had been a healthy scratch the past two games before playing in Saturday’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens. However, the 24-year-old center only received 9:03 of playing time on one of the bottom lines. Griffith is not new to being waived. He was waived by the Boston Bruins in October last year and was subsequently claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Almost a month later, Toronto waived him again and he was claimed by the Florida Panthers. In January of 2017, the Panthers waived him and he was re-claimed by the Maple Leafs again and eventually ended up playing with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.
As for Laich, the veteran forward was placed on waivers on Friday and then cleared waivers yesterday. James Mirtle of The Athletic adds that it appears Laich intends to retire. The 34-year veteran, who has spent much of his 30’s plagued by injuries, played 12 games with the Kings this year, picking up just one assist during that span.