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Canucks Recall 13 Black Aces Ahead of Game 2

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The Vancouver Canucks have brought up reinforcements from the minor leagues following the Abbotsford Canucks’ elimination from the AHL playoffs, recalling 13 players (Twitter link). The full list includes forwards Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Danila Klimovich, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Vasily Podkolzin, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson; defenders Nick Cicek, Matt Irwin, Cole McWard, Elias Pettersson, and Christian Wolanin; and goaltender Zach Sawchenko.

The list features four of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks top five scorers, following the team’s elimination from the AHL’s Pacific Division Finals at the hands of the Ontario Reign. Abbotsford went on a strong postseason run after tying for fourth in the AHL in goals scored during the regular season. Now, their best and brightest will bolster a Vancouver lineup that’s currently up 1-0 on the Oilers. Thatcher Demko is the only Canuck currently out with injury, likely keeping any of today’s recalls from slotting into the lineup right away. But the team will have a wide array of options to choose from should they need a fill-in – ranging from highly-skilled prospects in Lekkerimäki and Räty, to hard-nosed forwards Bains and Podkolzin, to rangy defenders Irwin and Pettersson.

While Podkolzin, Bains, Karlsson, and McWard have each played in NHL games this season, the former is the only one to earn a significant role. Podkolzin played in 19 games and recorded two assists this season, averaging just under 11 minutes of ice time. He’d likely be the first bet for a fill-in should Vancouver need a forward, while Irwin – the only member of the list with Stanley Cup Playoffs experience – likely leads the defenders.

Snapshots: AHL, Bennett, Lekkerimaki

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The AHL will remain under stable leadership for next season and beyond. Current league president and CEO Scott Howson was on an expiring contract entering next season, but the AHL’s Board of Governors announced today that he’s agreed to a multi-year extension.

Before assuming his current role in 2020, the 64-year-old Howson was a mainstay in NHL front offices. Nearly a decade after his brief playing career concluded in 1986, Howson was appointed as the general manager of the Oilers’ AHL affiliate, then in Cape Breton, in 1994. He continued in the role when Edmonton reached an affiliation agreement with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 1996, and he was eventually promoted to an AGM role with the Oilers’ NHL staff in 2000.

He got his first shot as an NHL GM after helping construct the Edmonton squad that reached the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, signing on as the Blue Jackets’ GM for 2007-08. He lasted there for more than five seasons until he was fired shortly into the lockout-constricted 2012-13 season. Howson then immediately returned to Edmonton as a pro scout and eventually became their director of player development in 2017 before leaving for his AHL president/CEO role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other news and notes from around hockey:

  • Panthers forward Sam Bennett remains out for Game 2 against the Bruins tonight as Florida looks to tie the series. But the top-six center may not miss much more time with his upper-body injury and could return when the series shifts to Boston for Games 3 and 4, per The Hockey News’ David Dwork. Bennett, 27, had a goal and assist against the Lightning in the first round before leaving with injury partway through Game 2. He’s now missed more than two weeks of action but has officially been upgraded to day-to-day.
  • Canucks top forward prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki is back with AHL Abbotsford for their playoff run, the team confirmed today. Lekkerimäki, 19, was assigned to Abbotsford in March to make his North American professional debut but was loaned to the Swedish national team in mid-April in advance of the 2024 World Championship. He didn’t make the cut for the final roster, though, and will suit up in a must-win Game 3 tonight against the Ontario Reign to keep their season alive. The 2022 first-round pick had a goal and an assist for Abbotsford during his earlier brief stint.

Oilers Recall Eight Players

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May 6: Forward Xavier Bourgault has also been added to the Oilers’ playoff roster, the team said Monday. Bourgault, 21, was the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 draft. He’s yet to make his NHL debut and struggled in his sophomore season with Bakersfield, limited to eight goals and 20 points in 55 games. He has one year remaining on his entry-level contract

May 4: After bringing up goaltender Jack Campbell and defenseman Philip Broberg earlier, the Oilers have finalized the rest of their ‘Black Ace’ recalls.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forwards Adam Erne, Raphael Lavoie, and Lane Pederson, defensemen Philip Kemp, Cam Dineen, and Ben Gleason, and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue from AHL Bakersfield.

Among the forwards, Erne played the most with Edmonton this season, getting into 24 games but was limited to just two points and less than eight minutes a night of ice time but did average nearly three hits per game.  The 29-year-old didn’t light it up with the Condors either, recording six goals and six helpers in 36 minor league appearances.  However, if the Oilers decide they want some extra physicality on the fourth line here and there, the pending UFA could get into the lineup.

Lavoie cleared waivers at the end of training camp but that didn’t deter him.  Instead, the 23-year-old had his best AHL campaign, notching 28 goals and 22 assists in 68 games while also making his first seven NHL appearances.  That should have him in the mix for a roster spot with Edmonton against next season although it would be surprising to see him get into the lineup now.

Pederson, meanwhile, failed to make an NHL appearance for the first time since 2019-20.  He did, however, have a strong year with Bakersfield, collecting 22 goals and 30 helpers in 66 contests.  He’s under contract for one more year at the league minimum on a one-way deal.

As for the blueliners, only Kemp saw NHL action this season, making his first (and only) appearance at the top level.  The 25-year-old played in 64 games with the Condors this year, recording a pair of goals and 13 assists.  He’s signed through next season on a two-way contract.

Dineen has the most NHL experience among the blueliners brought up today, having gotten into 34 games with Arizona back in 2021-22.  He had his first full year in Bakersfield this season after being acquired last year, picking up five goals and 20 assists in 58 games.  The 25-year-old will be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency for the second straight year this summer.

Gleason’s last taste of NHL action came back in 2018-19 in his first professional season back when he was with Dallas.  Since then, the 26-year-old has been one of the more consistent offensive producers from the back end in the AHL and this year was no exception as he put up 10 goals and 22 assists in 62 appearances.  His contract converts to a one-way agreement next season for the league minimum.

Rodrigue was expected to split time with Calvin Pickard this season with Bakersfield but those plans changed with Campbell struggling and Pickard taking over as the backup in Edmonton.  Still, the 23-year-old posted a 2.73 GAA with a .916 SV% in 37 games with the Condors this season, earning himself a one-year extension along the way.

Most, if not all of these players won’t see any action during the rest of Edmonton’s postseason action but will be staying ready in case injuries warrant them suiting up.

Bruins Recall Patrick Brown On Emergency Basis

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The Bruins will kick off the second round on Monday against Florida and have made a roster move in advance of that game.  The team announced that they’ve recalled forward Patrick Brown from AHL Providence on an emergency basis.

The 31-year-old inked a two-year, $1.6MM deal with Boston over the summer with the expectation that he’d contend for a spot on their fourth line.  It didn’t quite work out that way, however, as he cleared waivers at the end of training camp and did so again a month later.

Overall, Brown played in just 11 regular season games for Boston this season, recording just one assist while logging less than nine minutes a night.  As a result, he spent most of the year in Providence where he was much more impactful, collecting 32 points in 42 regular season games plus three more in two playoff contests thus far.

Boston had 14 forwards on its roster before Brown’s recall so the emergency designation is notable.  Danton Heinen remains injured but since they had an extra healthy skater on the roster already (Jakub Lauko), it appears as if there’s at least one other forward whose availability for Monday night isn’t assured.

Meanwhile, while not announced by the team, the Bruins have also recalled goaltender Michael DiPietro, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The 24-year-old has been serving as Boston’s emergency goaltender in recent days and had a 2.51 GAA with a .918 SV% in 30 games with Providence during the regular season.

Predators Assign Three To AHL

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While the Predators were eliminated last night by Vancouver, the season isn’t quite over for three players just yet.  The team announced that they’ve assigned forward Juuso Parssinen, defenseman Kevin Gravel, and goaltender Gustavs Grigals to AHL Milwaukee.

Parssinen split this season between the Predators and Admirals.  With Nashville, the 23-year-old wasn’t able to match the output from a year ago, dropping to just eight goals and four assists in 44 games; in 2022-23, he had six goals and 19 helpers in 45 contests.  Parssinen also got into one game against the Canucks in the first round and was held off the scoresheet.  The pending restricted free agent had a fairly productive year in the minors, however, notching seven goals and 18 assists in 36 games.

As for Gravel, he was just brought back up as injury depth following the injury to Spencer Stastney earlier in the series.  The 32-year-old has 132 career NHL appearances under his belt but played exclusively in the AHL this season, picking up a goal and nine assists in 63 games.  Gravel signed a two-year extension back in January, meaning he’ll be patrolling the back end in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.

Grigals, meanwhile, served as the third-string emergency backup in the playoffs.  His minor league deal was converted to an NHL agreement back in March, likely for that very reason, allowing Yaroslav Askarov and Troy Grosenick to remain with Milwaukee for the playoffs.  The 25-year-old pending RFA will likely serve the same third-string role for the balance of the AHL postseason.

Snapshots: Smith, Schenn, Second Round, DiPietro

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Forward Cole Smith was held out of Friday night’s Game 6 lineup due to a lower-body injury, per the team (Twitter link). Smith was replaced by Juuso Parssinen making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Parssinen took on a larger role than Smith’s received, stepping into the team’s second line and bumping Mark Jankowski down the lineup. Only three Predators forwards, including Smith, have failed to record at least one point through their first five playoff games. Parssinen will need to quickly join that list, with Nashville down 3-2 in the series.

The Predators also welcomed Luke Schenn back to the lineup, after he missed Game 5 with illness, shares The Athletic’s Thomas Drance (Twitter link). Schenn’s absence made way for Tyson Barrie to return to the lineup. Barrie brought speed and tempo to the lineup, even recording an assist in Nashville’s eventual 2-1 win. But with elimination so close, the Predators opted for the more physical and defensive presence of Schenn.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The NHL has announced the start times for the Second Round’s Eastern Conference matchups. The round will begin with Game 1 between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers on Sunday, while the Florida Panthers will take on the winner of Toronto versus Boston on Monday. Start times for each of these games haven’t yet been announced. This schedule marks a quick turnaround for Boston or Toronto, while each of Carolina, New York, and Florida will have at least five days off.
  • The Boston Bruins have returned goaltender Michael DiPietro to the minor leagues, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). DiPietro has served as Boston’s emergency third-string goalie for a handful of playoff games, though he’s yet to play his first game as a Boston Bruin. He instead spent all season with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, where he recorded 18 wins and a .918 save percentage in 30 appearances. He’ll now return to a prime role for Providence, as they prepare to take on one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Charlotte, or Hartford in the Atlantic Division’s Semifinals.

Jets Sign Thomas Milic To Entry-Level Contract

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed goaltender Thomas Milic to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry an AAV of $841.7K beginning next season. Winnipeg drafted Milic in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft and signed him to a minor-league contract in October.

Milic has since played out his first professional season, starting the year in the ECHL but climbing into the AHL starting role by February. He totaled 19 wins and a .900 save percentage in 33 AHL games this year, leading the Manitoba Moose in all three stats. Milic also represented Team Canada in December’s Spengler Cup, allowing two goals on 18 shots in his only appearance. It was his fourth time representing Canada internationally, having previously played in the World U17 Hockey Challenge, the World U18 Championships, and the World Juniors.

The climb to AHL starter has to feel rewarding for Milic, who went undrafted twice before Winnipeg selected him in his final year of eligibility. He posted strong numbers throughout parts of four seasons in the WHL, totaling 60 wins and a .917 save percentage in 91 games in juniors – but the 2023 World Juniors earned Milic his acclaim. Still draft-eligible, he won all five of his starts and posted a .932 save percentage en route to Canada’s gold medal win. He’s carried the momentum from a strong juniors career into the pros, now being rewarded with his first NHL contract.

Milic will get another chance to compete for the AHL starting role next season, going up against Oskari Salminen and Domenic Divincentiis, the only other minor-league goalies Winnipeg has under contract. Winnipeg will also need to negotiate a new deal with NHL backup Laurent Brossoit, who made up one-half of the team’s William M. Jenning Trophy win this season.

Hurricanes Confirm AHL Affiliation Agreement With Chicago Wolves

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As reported yesterday, the Hurricanes have now officially agreed on a three-year affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves to once again become their top minor-league affiliate.

Carolina spent the 2023-24 season without an AHL affiliate after the Wolves’ ownership and management group opted to try operating independently. Results for both clubs this season proved it was a decisively lose-lose choice.

The Wolves, who had gone independent to have full control of their hockey operations department without oversight or influence from the Hurricanes’ staff, struggled without the presence of NHL-affiliated prospects. They only received a select few players on loan from the Hurricanes throughout the season and iced a roster of players solely on minor-league contracts.

As such, they finished second-to-last in the league with a 23-35-7-7 record and 60 points, only one ahead of last-place Bridgeport. It was a disappointing result for a club that won a Calder Cup championship while under an affiliation agreement with Carolina in 2022.

The lack of a full-time affiliate didn’t affect the Hurricanes’ record this season in the slightest, but it did have a marked effect on some of their prospects. 2019 second-round pick Jamieson Rees was coming off a breakout season with Chicago in 2022-23, posting career-highs across the board with 14 goals and 42 points in 65 games. Without an agreement in place with the Wolves, the Hurricanes found a home for the center with Springfield, the primary affiliate of the Blues, where he failed to score a goal and mustered just three assists in 30 games. He’s no longer in the Carolina organization after being traded to the Senators in March.

Returning to a full-time affiliation with the Wolves gives a degree of certainty to many Hurricanes prospects who have recently signed entry-level contracts. 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau, defense prospect Scott Morrow, and 2024 Hobey Baker Award finalist Jackson Blake are all expected to log big minutes in the AHL next season and will do so in a more traditionally controlled environment geared toward prospect development.

In their statement today, the Hurricanes confirmed that they will have oversight over the Wolves’ hockey operations decisions as part of the affiliation agreement.

Hurricanes Notes: Pesce, DeAngelo, Brind’Amour, AHL Affiliate

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The Hurricanes could get a key reinforcement on their back end at some point in their upcoming series against the Rangers.  Speaking with reporters today including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, GM Don Waddell indicated that blueliner Brett Pesce is no longer in a walking boot and is progressing to the point where he may play at some point in the series.  The 29-year-old, who has already been ruled out for the opening contest, was injured in the second game of their series against the Islanders.  Pesce has been a key shutdown defender for the Hurricanes for several years now and considering he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, a strong finish to his postseason when he’s able to come back could help cement him toward being near the top of that class on the back end.

More from Carolina:

  • Also from Alexander, Waddell indicated that blueliner Tony DeAngelo was not seriously injured after taking a slash in the arm in the final game of the series against the Isles. X-rays were negative so he should be good to play in the opener.  DeAngelo was in and out of the lineup during the season, suiting up just 31 times but with Pesce’s injury, he played in the final three games of the opening round and should stay in the lineup until Pesce is cleared to return.
  • Earlier today, a report emerged that the team had pulled its extension offer to head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Despite that, Waddell said in an interview with The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription link) that he’s not worried about the state of negotiations.  Instead, he stated that a new deal will get done and that his bench boss wants to be a Hurricane for life.  Brind’Amour would undoubtedly be highly sought after if the two sides aren’t able to agree on an extension to his contract that expires at the end of June.
  • Carolina operated without its own AHL affiliate this season after AHL Chicago opted to operate as an independent franchise. However, that might not be the case for long as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that there is some chatter that the Wolves could be aligned with the Hurricanes next season.  That would certainly be a much better outcome for Carolina who had to loan prospects to several organizations while loaning a handful of others to teams overseas to ensure they had places to play.  With a deep prospect pool, being able to have more of those players on one team would certainly be beneficial.  Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis adds that the affiliation agreement, if finalized, will be for three years with a pair of one-year extension options.

Stars Assign Lian Bichsel To AHL

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Stars top defense prospect Lian Bichsel will finish 2023-24 in North America, the team confirmed today. He’s been assigned to AHL Texas and will suit up for them in the Calder Cup Playoffs for his second postseason run of the year. He’d spent the last five months on assignment to Rögle BK, whom he helped advance to the Swedish Hockey League championship series as the ninth seed with a goal, five assists and a +7 rating in 15 games.

The move was expected after Rögle’s season ended with a Game 5 loss to Skellefteå on Monday, dropping the best-of-seven series 4-1 after Rögle swept their previous two series against the top two regular-season teams, Färjestad BK and Växjö Lakers HC, to advance to the final. In his first season with Rögle, Bichsel had four points and 28 PIMs in 29 regular-season games.

Bichsel, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 draft, began the season with AHL Texas after signing his entry-level contract in May 2023. But after posting one goal and six assists with a -2 rating in 16 games, the 6’6″ Swiss defender activated his European Assignment Clause and was loaned back to Sweden, where he’d spent the previous two seasons with Leksands IF.

He was the sixth defenseman off the board in his draft year but the first with a shutdown projection at the NHL level. The Blue Jackets’ Denton Mateychuk is the only defenseman drafted ahead of Bichsel in 2022 who has yet to make his NHL debut.

Since he played in fewer than 10 NHL games this season, his entry-level slide goes into effect and delays the start of his contract until 2024-25. The Stars still owe him his $95K signing bonus for 2023-24, which will drop his cap hit from its initial $950K to $918.3K over the remainder of the deal. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency when his deal expires in 2027.

Texas has already advanced in the Calder Cup Playoffs without Bichsel, sweeping their best-of-three First Round series against Manitoba last week. Their best-of-five Central Division Semifinal against Milwaukee begins tomorrow, and Stars general manager Jim Nill confirmed Bichsel will make his AHL playoff debut in Game 1 (via the Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos). Nill said the organization prefers to give Bichsel some developmental runway on a “deep run” with Texas but indicated he could be added to the NHL roster if Texas is eliminated before their parent club.

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