Minor Transactions: 11/10/17
The NHL is set to open their series in Sweden in just a few hours, with the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Ottawa Senators. The games have a bit more significance now that Matt Duchene will take on his former team immediately following the trade, while Samuel Girard will suit up for the first time as an Avalanche. There are six other games around the league too, including the Penguins and Capitals rehashing an old rivalry, and the Bruins and Maple Leafs starting a back-to-back series. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here. Make sure to refresh or bookmark this page for the day.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Curtis McKenzie from the AHL to help them up front. The Stars have a few forwards—Tyler Pitlick, Radek Faksa, and Brett Ritchie—still on the shelf, and have had to play Jamie Oleksiak up front in recent games. Their biggest impediment was the salary cap, as the team is right up against it just a few weeks into the season. Banking some room with fewer than 23 men on the roster has allowed for this call-up, but as NHL.com correspondent Sean Shapiro explains for Wrong Side Of The Red Line, it has also limited who exactly they could recall. McKenzie had 16 points in 53 games for the Stars last season.
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled goaltender Zach Fucale on an emergency basis after Al Montoya suffered an upper-body injury. It’s not clear when the injury happened as Montoya didn’t start last night for the Canadiens, who instead are riding Charlie Lindgren with Carey Price out. Now Lindgren will be asked to keep his run going, as he’s the most tenured goaltender on the team. Fucale is a promising goaltending prospect, who was selected in the second round in 2013 and has been playing for the Laval Rocket this season. Montreal plays the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night.
- With Alex Stalock returning to the Minnesota Wild after the birth of his second child, Niklas Svedberg has been sent back to the Iowa Wild. Svedberg was just up on emergency recall in case something happened to Devan Dubnyk.
- The Arizona Coyotes have assigned Mike Sislo to the AHL after failing to get into a game with the team. Sislo is not waiver-exempt, however last cleared in late September. Remember, players are eligible to be sent back down to the minor leagues without waivers if they haven’t spent a cumulative 30 days on the NHL active roster (or played in 10 games) since clearing waivers. Sislo only came up on Tuesday.
- Mark Alt has been sent back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, hopefully indicating that Nolan Patrick is close to returning for the Philadelphia Flyers. Patrick has been out with a concussion for the last six games, but has been skating on his own recently and progressing towards a return. The next game Patrick plays will burn a year of his entry-level contract, but that doesn’t seem to be a concern at this point.
- The Vancouver Canucks have returned Reid Boucher to Utica of the AHL just three days after recalling him. He didn’t get into a game with the team while he was up. Boucher has seen action in ten minor league games this season, tallying three goals and seven assists in ten games.
Tampa Bay Lightning Make Multiple Moves
The Tampa Bay Lightning made a flurry of minor moves this afternoon, as indicated by an announcement from the team primarily impacted – their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. The most impactful NHL transaction was the return of veteran forward Erik Condra to the minors. The Bolts also reassigned top goalie prospect Connor Ingram as well as defenseman Matt Spencer to the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. Down at the AHL level, the Crunch additionally recalled goaltender Nick Riopel from the ECHL and released journeyman forward Jason Akeson from his tryout agreement.
Condra, 31, is now in his third year with the Lightning and has seen his role with the team decrease with each passing season. The former Ottawa Senators spark plug signed with the Bolts as a free agent in 2015, expecting to have a similar job in Tampa as he did in Kanata. However, in year one he only suited up for 54 NHL games and scored less than half the points of the previous season’s total. Last year, he skated in only 13 games with the Lightning, spending much of the campaign in the press box or the minors. In 2017-18? Despite being recently called up, Condra has yet to make his season debut for the Bolts with the team 16 games in. It seems Condra has permanently settled into an AHL depth role.
Ingram and Spencer, both first-year pros, have each struggled to adjust to the AHL thus far. Although no one is doubting that Ingram could still be the reliable NHL keeper he projected as when he was selected in the third round in 2016, his .860 save percentage and 3.36 GAA in the pros is a far cry from his numbers as a top WHL goalie with the Kamloops Blazers the past few years. Some time in the ECHL could make for a smoother transition and a confidence boost for the 20-year-old. The same goes for the defenseman Spencer, a 2015 second-round pick and two-way ace for the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. Unable to work his way into the defensive rotation, Spencer has seen only limited minutes in just two AHL games. A trip to the ECHL will help him get some work in and, like Ingram, renew his confidence.
In the meantime, Syracuse needs another goalie and Riopel is getting the call. However, Ingram’s demotion could be short-lived, as the journeyman minor leaguer Riopel has arguably worse numbers – .871 save percentage and 3.91 GAA in nine games – in the ECHL than Ingram had in the AHL (and Ingram is eight years younger). Riopel does bring some more experience, but little upside over his younger counterpart. Whatever veteran boost Riopel gives the Crunch may be canceled out by the departure of Akeson, who failed to turn a PTO into a contract. Akeson, 27, is a former Philadelphia Flyer with 15 NHL games under his belt and a prolific AHL career to go with it. Yet, with the return of Condra and the realization that he may be in Syracuse for good, the organization likely decided they didn’t need another aging minor league forward on board.
Minor Transactions: 11/09/17
The NHL is about to play regular season games in Europe for the first time in many years, as the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche are set to duel tomorrow night in Stockholm. As they entertain Sweden, the rest of the league is tightening up to continue their respective playoff runs. As always, we’ll keep track of the minor moves right here.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Dryden Hunt from the AHL, the first such transaction of his career. The 21-year old Hunt was an undrafted free agent, who scored 58 goals and 116 points in his final year of junior hockey. The Panthers signed him to an entry-level contract in the spring of 2016.
- Roland McKeown has been assigned to the AHL by the Carolina Hurricanes, ending his short stint with the team. McKeown made his NHL debut just a few nights ago, and in his second game impressively recorded two assists. Those points came in fewer than ten minutes, as the Hurricanes limited his playing time considerably and heaped the minutes onto Jaccob Slavin and Justin Faulk. McKeown might not be quite ready for the NHL, but it won’t be long before the 21-year old is holding down a full-time role in the league.
- The Hurricanes have also activated Lee Stempniak from injured reserve, only to send him to the AHL on a conditioning stint. Stempniak hasn’t played yet this season due to an upper-body injury, but is an important part of their offense. Despite his age (Stempniak will turn 35 in February) he still seemed as effective as ever last year scoring 40 points, most of which came at even strength.
- With Nathan Beaulieu and Josh Gorges expected to return soon, the Buffalo Sabres have sent Zach Redmond back to the AHL. Redmond was acquired earlier this season from Montreal as a depth piece, and they’ve already needed him for three games. Since Rasmus Ristolainen has been downgraded to week-to-week, it’s possible you’ll see Redmond right back up if the Sabres experience another injury on the back end.
- Austin Czarnik is on his way back to the AHL after his latest call-up with the Boston Bruins. The 24-year old will be assigned to the Providence Bruins on paper, but could be on his way back up if Brad Marchand isn’t able to go this weekend. Both Marchand and Noel Acciari are game-time decisions for the team tomorrow night, but the former isn’t actually with the team yet in Toronto.
Teams Calling On Senators’ Nick Paul
After completing the biggest trade of the season so far, the Ottawa Senators have some new faces in town. One of them is the incoming Matt Duchene, but another is 22-year old forward Nick Paul, a recent recall from Belleville of the AHL. Paul had recorded five assists in eleven games this season for the baby-Sens, but had regularly been one of the most dominant players on the ice.
Now, the team has to see what they have. Paul played in just one game last season, and afterwards GM Pierre Dorion called his year “disappointing.” Don Brennan of the Ottawa Citizen profiled Paul’s work this summer to improve his game, and how he struggled with added pressure in 2016-17. Some of that pressure comes from the fact that he’s the last remnant of the Jason Spezza trade of 2014.
Dorion spoke recently to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, saying that he’s “anxious to see how Nick Paul will play” given his recent success in Belleville, before making another deal to help his club up front. Darren Dreger of TSN agrees, reporting that teams have been calling the Senators to ask about Paul as a potential trade target. The Senators know that they need to find out what they have before moving on, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be sticking around even if he shows he’s ready for the NHL.
Paul is with the team as they prepare to take on Colorado in a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden which could easily turn into a showcase for the young forward. If he does get into the lineup you can bet the NHL will take notice of his play. Whether he stays with the Senators or is turned into a trade asset, it’s clear that this season is the chance for Paul to really show what he can do.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Morning Notes: Matthews, Waivers, Kulemin
Auston Matthews will miss the first game of his career tonight when the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Minnesota Wild. Matthews was a game-time decision on Monday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, but ended up playing (and playing well). Today, coach Mike Babcock confirmed that his upper-body injury will keep him out of the match, which sparked an interesting take from former TSN radio host Matt Cauz.
Glad Leafs are resting Auston Matthews. If stars rest the odd game in the less physical NBA than why not in the NHL? Rather have a fresh Matthews in back-to-back vs. Boston.
While Matthews’ injury has been described as “soreness” by Babcock and the team doesn’t seem too concerned about it, it does raise the question about playing through injury or resting to remain healthy all year. Goaltenders are already treated this way due to the demand on their bodies, and perhaps teams should consider it more for their star players. The Maple Leafs though aren’t in the same situation as some basketball teams who decide to give their stars a night off. In the NHL, playoff spots are far from guaranteed throughout the year and any team can surprise on a given night. It’s unlikely that Matthews is sitting just to be fresh for the weekend series against Boston.
- Erik Condra and Brian Ferlin have cleared waivers and will be assigned to their respective AHL teams. Both players started the year injured, and had to clear to be sent to their minor league affiliates. Condra is headed to the Syracuse Crunch where will be welcomed back with open arms as he continues his role of team captain, while Ferlin will be assigned to the Bakersfield Condors to try and get his professional career back on track. The 25-year old Ferlin has been limited by injuries since leaving Cornell University for the pros, playing in just 28 games (playoffs included) over the past two seasons.
- Nikolai Kulemin has been placed on injured reserve by the New York Islanders, giving them one additional roster spot to call up a forward. Alan Quine came back from his minor league conditioning stint, but many expect Joshua Ho-Sang to get another chance with the big club. Ho-Sang has five points in five games since being sent down, and is a key part of the Islanders’ future up front. New York plays the Dallas Stars on Friday night.
Snapshots: Flames, Hammond, Ekman-Larsson
Tanner Glass has cleared waivers and been assigned to Stockton of the AHL, leaving room for the Calgary Flames to activate Jaromir Jagr prior to their game tonight. Glass signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Flames this summer but is at best a 13th forward used in especially physical matchups. It won’t surprise if the 33-year old is back up before long to serve in that role.
Jagr though will jump back into the lineup after a long layoff, and will look to recapture the early success he had found with his new team. The legendary winger’s already exquisite possession numbers were off the charts in his first five games for Calgary, and he should help the team continue their current win streak. Jagr is just 51 games behind Gordie Howe for the most all-time, a record he could break should he stay relatively healthy for the rest of the year.
- Andrew Hammond was clearly a salary dump by the Ottawa Senators in their recent trade, to help even out the salary difference between Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris. Now, James Gordon of The Athletic reports that Colorado will look to flip Hammond somewhere else around the league. Hammond will remain with the Belleville Senators on loan until that happens, but it may not be so easy. “The Hamburgler” as he is so affectionately nicknamed, is owed $1.5MM this season and carries a $1.35MM cap hit. Though last year was a struggle for him before going down to injury, he’s played well early on for Belleville.
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson has somehow become the center of much trade speculation, but Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka wants to put an end to that. Speaking with Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, Chayka again said he won’t trade the All-Star defenseman, and revealed “I haven’t had a single conversation about Oilver that has lasted more than five seconds.” Ekman-Larsson is a free agent after next season and would be one of the top names on the market.
Minor Transactions: 11/06/17
As always, we’ll keep an eye on the minor transactions around the league right here. Keep checking back to stay updated on all the movement in the NHL.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Rob O’Gara from the AHL. The 24-year old defenseman played in one game earlier in the year for the Bruins, but has spent most of the season in Providence. A fifth-round pick from 2011, O’Gara played four seasons at Yale University before making his NHL debut last year.
- The Bruins have also terminated Ryan White‘s professional tryout, ending any chance he had of signing with the team. White will now try to find another opportunity to continue his career, after being unable to find an NHL contract this summer. A veteran of 313 games, White split last season between the Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild, but has never been much more than a fourth-line depth player.
- Boston seems to be the only team making minor moves today, as they’ve also moved David Krejci to injured reserve while recalling Zane McIntyre on an emergency basis. Krejci hasn’t played since October 19th and isn’t expected to be back this week even if the IR stint has been backdated. Anton Khudobin‘s availability is still up in the air, leading to the team needing McIntyre for insurance purposes. Tuukka Rask is still expected to make the start tonight against Minnesota.
- The Winnipeg Jets have activated Adam Lowry from injured reserve after several weeks without the 24-year old forwad. Lowry last played on October 12th and has suited up just four times in totals this season. An important part of their depth down the middle, the Jets nevertheless have gone one a successful run without Lowry. The team now sits at 7-3-3 and are looking like a potential playoff team in the Western Conference.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Nick Paul and Marcus Hogberg for their upcoming games in Sweden. Each team is allowed to carry an emergency goaltender on the trip in case of injury, and with Andrew Hammond traded to Colorado (ironically, the team they’ll face in Sweden) Hogberg is next up. It’ll be nice for the Swedish-born goaltender to be with the team in his home country, especially after spending most of this season in the ECHL.
Alexei Bereglazov Loaned To KHL
Last we heard on Alexei Bereglazov, a decision was to be made in early November on whether the would utilize his out clause and return to the KHL. The New York Rangers defender has been playing in the AHL all season after being a sought-after free agent this summer. Now here we are in early November, and the head coach of Magnitogorsk has told Alexei Shevchenko of Sport-Express that Bereglazov will be heading back to his former Russian team while Larry Brooks of the New York Post confirms the assignment with the team.
Bereglazov, 23, was one of several KHL players to come over this summer in hopes of making a name for themselves in the NHL. He joined the likes of Jakub Jerabek, Victor Antipin and Vadim Shipachyov as undrafted players who suited up in Russia last season, only to be pulled over to North America. That group is obviously a mixed bag, with only Antipin playing more than a handful of NHL games so far.
The Rangers will maintain rights to Bereglazov, and could bring him back next season. For now, he’ll technically play as a loan to Magnitogorsk, burning the first year of his entry-level contract. While it hasn’t worked in New York so far, this is better news than a potential termination or retirement like the Shipachyov situation.
Kailer Yamamoto Assigned To WHL
The Edmonton Oilers have made the decision to not keep rookie Kailer Yamamoto past the nine-game threshold. The team announced today that they’ve sent their diminutive forward back to the WHL for additional season, thus retaining the first season of his entry-level contract. Yamamoto’s deal will now slide and kick in next season. In his place, the team has recalled Brad Malone from the AHL.
Removing Yamamoto from the mix was likely a tough decision for the Oilers as they continue to struggle this season. Now at 4-8-1 and coming off a decisive 4-0 loss at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings, removing a talented youngster from the forward rotation doesn’t seem prudent. Still, sending Yamamoto back to the WHL where he can receive top line minutes and continue to develop his game is likely the correct move long-term, as he had played sparingly recently and looked over-matched at times. He’ll rejoin a Spokane team that could really use his scoring ability, and try to vault them back into the playoffs.
Mark Spector of Sportsnet expects the Oilers to sign Chris Kelly now that there is another roster spot available, though the recall of Malone obviously fills that spot for now. Kelly has been practicing with the Oilers since appearing on a professional tryout through training camp and could earn a contract like Roman Polak and Brooks Laich have already in Toronto and Los Angeles. Kelly doesn’t provide much in the way of offense, but is an experienced forward who has always been known for his defensive prowess.
Minor Transactions: 11/5/17
As the first full week in November begins, teams are evaluating their first month’s performance and making tweaks to the roster to address both short-term needs and more long-term issues. Here are today’s minor moves:
- The Vancouver Canucks announced (via twitter) that they have assigned Jayson Megna to the Utica Comets of the AHL today. Megna has been with the team since he was recalled on Oct. 29. The 27-year-old center, who was called up for depth purposes, played in just one game and didn’t score any points. He filled in last week after Brock Boeser missed a game due to injury.
- The Minnesota Wild announced they have sent forward Landon Ferraro to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. He had been recalled back on Oct. 18 and recorded a goal in two games with the Wild, but the 26-year-old suffered a hip flexor injury in his second game on Oct. 20 and has been out for the last seven games. As reports have surfaced that he’s close to returning to the ice, a little time in Iowa might be just what he needs to get back into game shape. He has two assists in three games for Iowa this year.
- With veteran defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson out for a few days with an upper body injury, the Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled defenseman Joel Hanley from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL to fill in for at least the first of the team’s three-game road trip. The 26-year-old has had four assists in nine games with Tucson. Signed away from the Montreal Canadiens this summer, Hanley has played in 17 NHL games for Montreal and has tallied six assists.
- The injury-plagued blue line of the Philadelphia Flyers is hopefully on its way back to full strength, so – for the time being – Will O’Neill has been returned to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, per a team release. The long-time AHL veteran, who turns 30 in April, made his NHL debut Thursday in a limited bottom pair role for Philly. However, it was a symbol of hard work paid off more than anything for the Boston native, a 2006 seventh-round pick and former UMaine star who has had to work his way through the minors for the better part of this decade. With nearly 200 points in close to 350 AHL games, on top of an impressive NCAA resume, an NHL experience was the last thing left on O’Neill’s checklist. Now he just needs to stay motivated and earn a second call-up for the Flyers.
- The AHL’s Toronto Marlies have signed former New York Rangers goaltender Mackenzie Skapski to a one-year AHL contract, however he’ll likely be spending much of his time on the other side of North America from Toronto. Skapski has already been assigned to the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the Leafs’ and Marlies’ “AA” affiliate. Orlando recently lost veteran keeper Matt Hackett, who left the team to pursue other opportunities, and were hurting for depth in net. While the Marlies have arguably the best goalie group in the AHL – Garret Sparks, Calvin Pickard, and Kasimir Kaskisuo (currently on loan) – the team took it as an opportunity to add another goalie they were comfortable with to the mix. Skapski had been in camp with the Marlies for an extended period this fall, but left without a contract. Having seen him in action, the Marlies clearly felt they could add a reliable fall back to their impressive depth and help out their affiliate in one fell swoop. Skapski started two games for the Rangers back in 2014-15 at just 20 years old and performed admirably, but overall he has struggled in the pros and has settled into an ECHL role. Nevertheless, he presents a solid, experienced option for Orlando in 2017-18.
- The Boston Bruins have returned Zane McIntyre to the minor leagues, following the team’s loss against the Washington Capitals last night. McIntyre’s return likely means Anton Khudobin will be ready to dress in tomorrow’s matchup. McIntyre has been up several times this season, filling in for both Tuukka Rask and Khudobin as they nursed injuries, but hasn’t actually played a game. The sixth-round pick will have to wait for his next opportunity.
- The Calgary Flames will be without Travis Hamonic after the defenseman was injured in practice yesterday. Rasmus Andersson has been recalled as an insurance policy, but according to Roger Millions of Sportsnet Matt Bartkowski will be the replacement for Hamonic in the lineup. The Flames take on the New Jersey Devils tonight.
More to come throughout the day…