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Flames Assign Adam Klapka To AHL

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After sustaining an injury in the final game of the regular season, Flames winger Adam Klapka wasn’t cleared to be assigned to the minors with the rest of his eligible teammates last week.  However, that clearance has now come as the team announced that he has been assigned to AHL Calgary.

The 24-year-old signed with the Flames as an undrafted free agent back in 2022 and made his NHL debut last season, getting into six appearances.  This season, he was utilized much more often, having six different stints with the Flames over the course of the year, including making the team out of training camp.

Klapka played in 31 games with the big club this season, potting six goals and four assists while averaging 9:39 per night.  He also chipped in with 108 hits and 25 blocked shots.  With the Wranglers in the minors, he was much more impactful offensively, tallying 14 goals and 12 assists in 33 games.

Klapka’s waiver exemption expires after this season so this final stretch with the Wranglers could help his cause to push for a roster spot in 2025-26.  However, to get that chance, Calgary will have to win the next two games over Coachella Valley or their playoff run will come to a quick end.

Blackhawks Assign Colton Dach To AHL

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Colton Dach’s first NHL season came to an early end when he suffered an elbow injury last month.  However, it appears that injury has healed as the Blackhawks announced that the forward has been assigned to AHL Rockford.  The assignment couldn’t have been made until he received a clean bill of health.

The 22-year-old was a second-round pick by Chicago back in 2021, going 62nd overall.  After injuries took out most of his final WHL season, Dach was limited to just 48 games in his first professional season, spent entirely with the IceHogs.  Nonetheless, he put up a respectable 11 goals and 16 assists in those outings.

This season, Dach got off to a strong start with Rockford, earning himself a recall in early January.  Aside from a pair of brief stints in the minors after that, he spent the bulk of the second half with the Blackhawks, getting into 25 games where he had two goals and five assists while logging a little over 12 minutes a night.  Meanwhile, with the IceHogs, Dach had a strong half-season, tallying 12 goals and 14 helpers in 33 outings.

Dach was papered down at the trade deadline, keeping him eligible to play in the minors for this very reason.  Rockford took the opener of its best-of-three series on Wednesday and will look to punch their ticket to the next round with a win on Friday.

Eastern Conference Notes: Martin, Puljujarvi, Lukashevich

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The New York Rangers have opted to sign general manager Chris Drury to a multi-year extension even after a convoluted and disappointing campaign. That decision could leave assistant general manager Ryan Martin open to finding a promotion elsewhere this summer, and maybe even a move to the New York Islanders, per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.

Martin has served as the general manager of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack for the last four seasons, in addition to his assistant role with the Rangers. He’s an experienced professional in the hockey world, set to reach his 20th season in an NHL front office next season. The bulk of that time was spent in the Detroit Red Wings organization, where Martin began his career as the Director of Hockey Administration in 2005. He served in that role for five seasons before a promotion to assistant general manager in 2010.

The Red Wings added AHL general manager to his title two years later. Martin led the Grand Rapids Griffins to an AHL championship in his first year at the helm in 2012-13, then won again with a new head coach in 2016-17. The Griffins made the postseason in seven out of eight years under Martin, and missed back-to-back playoffs after he left in 2020-21.

Martin continued his strong streak in Hartford. After only making the playoffs once in the prior seven years, the Wolf Pack have made two of a possible four postseason appearances under Martin’s reign – missing in his first season with the club (2021-22) and this season. That’s a dazzling record for a seasoned executive, and could be exactly what some NHL teams  consistently on the fringe of the postseason – like the Islanders – are looking for in their next managerial hire.

Other notes from out East:

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled forward Jesse Puljujarvi but plan to soon send him back down, per Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post. Guy shares that Puljujarvi will serve his two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chafee, before returning to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers for their Calder Cup Playoff run. Puljujarvi received the suspension after Florida’s final game of the regular season. He only played in five games on the Panthers roster this year, with one goal and 15 penalty minutes to show for it. Puljujarvi has been far better in the minors, with 13 points in 22 games with Charlotte and a combined 16 points in 26 games on the full season. Puljujarvi began the season in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
  • Sticking in Florida, 2021 fourth-round pick Vladislav Lukashevich has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Lukashevich is expected to transfer to Miami University per Divver and sources available to Pro Hockey Rumors. In Miami, Ohio –  Lukashevich will reunite with former USHL head coach Anthony Noreen. Lukashevich scored seven points in 29 games with Michigan State University this season, while serving in a bottom-pair role. A move to a smaller school should offer a path to more opportunity and, hopefully, more scoring.

Capitals’ Martin Fehérváry Out For Season After Knee Surgery

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The Washington Capitals have announced that defenseman Martin Fehérváry will miss the entirety of the postseason after undergoing surgery to address a meniscus injury in his right knee. Fehérváry sustained the injury in the final game of Washington’s regular season. The injury held him out of Washington’s playoff opener on Monday. In his place, the Capitals utilized depth defenseman Alexander Alexeyev – who only appeared in eight regular season games this season.

Fehérváry was getting run as a top-pair defenseman in Washington’s final few games. He averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time through his final 10 games of the season, bringing his season long average up to an even 19 minutes per game. Fehérváry showed well in his middling role in the lineup, with 25 points and a plus-18 in 81 games – all career-highs. He’s proven to be an effective defender on his own side of the blue line, with a long reach and strong physical play that made him the set-back match for aggressive partners like Matt Roy and John Carlson. Fehérváry was set to be leaned on heavily through the postseason, on a left-hand side that would have made the Capitals absolutely formidable – behind Jakob Chychrun and Rasmus Sandin.

Instead, the Capitals will have to turn towards the untested Alexeyev in their must-win matchups. Unforutnately, even that plan may be knocked awry after Alexeyev lost some teeth in the third period of Game 1. He was hit in the mouth by the skate of Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans and had to leave the game, only to return during the overtime period. Head coach Spencer Carbery shared postgame that Alexeyev would need some “significant dental work” after the incident, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.

It’s unclear if Alexeyev will need to sit out of Game 2. If he does, the absence will be another pile on the string of injuries and absences that held Alexeyev to just 11 games combined between the NHL and AHL this season. He underwent shoulder surgery at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, with a rehab that dragged into the summer. Alexeyev went on to miss time due to personal reasons and routine healthy scratches throughout this season. He managed no scoring in eight NHL games, but did have two assists in three AHL games – production that Washington will need to tap into this Spring. If Alexeyev is forced to miss time, the Capitals will have to turn towards extra defenseman Ethan Bear. Bear was the star of the AHL’s Hershey Bears this season, with a team-leading 46 points in 62 games. He is the only extra defenseman on Washington’s roster, though they could also recall Vincent Iorio or Brad Hunt from the minor leagues.

Blackhawks Assign Marek Vanacker To AHL

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The Blackhawks have assigned 2024 first-round pick Marek Vanacker to AHL Rockford, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio 720. The 19-year-old left-winger will get to make his professional debut in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Chicago traded up to select Vanacker last offseason, sending a pair of second-round picks to the Hurricanes to acquire the No. 27 overall pick. Unfortunately, the Ontario native is coming off a difficult post-draft season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. His point production dipped back below the point per game mark (24-18–42 in 45 GP) after he managed well over the threshold in 2023-24. He led the Bulldogs in scoring by a wide margin last year with 36-46–82 in 68 games, but missed time due to injuries this year and ended up finishing in sixth. He did end the season on a high note with 11 points in 11 postseason games, though.

With Brantford’s season ending in a Game 6 loss to the Oshawa Generals in the second round of the playoffs, he’s now free to join Rockford. Vanacker just turned 19 earlier this month, though, so he won’t be eligible for a full-time assignment to the IceHogs next season. It’s either Chicago or Brantford again for him in 2025-26 with the latter seeming far more likely given his regression this season.

Vanacker was the last of three first-round selections Chicago made last year and ranked as the No. 7 prospect in their system in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s midseason rankings. He is the top left-winger in the Blackhawks’ system. With no NHL games for him this season and none expected next year, his entry-level deal will presumably slide to the 2026-27 campaign before taking effect. He still earned $97.5K in signing bonuses from the Hawks this year and will do so again next season, though.

Snapshots: Shore, Jets, Cull, Devils

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The Wild announced that they’ve recalled center Devin Shore from AHL Iowa.  It’s the seventh recall of the season for the 30-year-old who actually spent the bulk of the regular season with Minnesota.  Shore got into 55 NHL games this season, his highest total since the 2018-19 campaign.  However, production was hard to come by as he was limited to just one goal and four assists in those outings while logging just 8:39 per contest of ice time.  Shore was more productive in the minors, picking up two goals and eight assists in 15 appearances with Iowa.  With Iowa not making the AHL playoffs, more recalls will likely be coming in the next few days.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Jets winger Gabriel Vilardi returned to practice in a non-contact jersey, relays TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link). The 25-year-old has missed the last four weeks with an upper-body injury, bringing a career year offensively to an early end.  Vilardi had 61 points in 71 games this season but may still be a few days away from returning.  That’s also the case for center Rasmus Kupari.  Murat Ates of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that he has been cleared to return from his concussion but will need a few practices with contact before being an option to suit up.  Meanwhile, Ates adds that defenseman Ville Heinola is also dealing with a nagging injury.  That has been a familiar refrain for the blueliner who was limited to just 18 games this season due to injury trouble.
  • The Flames announced that interim assistant coach Trent Cull is returning to AHL Calgary and will return to his duties as head coach of the Wranglers heading into the playoffs. Cull was moved behind the bench with the Flames following assistant coach Brad Larsen’s indefinite leave of absence due to family reasons.  Joe Cirella had been serving as interim head coach of the Wranglers and will now resume his assistant coach duties while Martin Gelinas, who was named as an interim assistant with them following Cull’s promotion, will remain in that role for the playoffs.
  • It would be a surprise to see defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler suit up for the Devils in their series against Carolina, relays team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has missed the last two-and-a-half months with a lower-body injury and had initially been ruled out for the rest of the regular season.  Clearly, Siegenthaler, who logged nearly 20 minutes a night before being injured, will need more time to recover.  Meanwhile, Stein relays in a separate tweet that defenseman Brenden Dillon was eager to return to play today after exiting in the second period but was held back by team doctors.  Nonetheless, that’s an encouraging sign for his availability heading into Tuesday’s second game.  However, there was no update on center Cody Glass who exited the game after taking a slash from teammate Jacob Markstrom.

Maple Leafs Recall Artur Akhtyamov

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The Maple Leafs added some goaltending depth before puck drop in Sunday’s series opener against Ottawa.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they recalled netminder Artur Akhtyamov from AHL Toronto to serve as their third goaltender for the time being.

The 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Maple Leafs back in 2020, going 106th overall.  He spent the next three seasons primarily playing at the VHL level (one tier below the KHL) with his 2022-23 performance being a stellar one that saw him post a 1.73 GAA and a .943 SV% in 39 regular season games with Neftyanik Almetievsk before improving on those in six postseason outings.

That was enough for Toronto to sign Akhtyamov to a three-year, entry-level deal back in July 2023 although they loaned him back overseas last season.  That allowed him to see some regular KHL action, getting in 17 games with Ak Bars Kazan along with 19 outings with Neftyanik before coming to North America this season.

This year, Akhtyamov played in 26 games for the Marlies, second among their goalies with the team largely running through three netminders this season.  In those outings, he posted a 2.81 GAA along with a .901 SV%.  The other two goaltenders – Dennis Hildeby and Matt Murray – will remain with the Marlies for their playoff run which gets underway on Thursday in Cleveland.

Atlantic Injury Notes: Maple Leafs, Bjorkstrand, Söderblom

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Sunday: Toronto head coach Craig Berube expects Oliver Ekman-Larsson to play tonight, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. In 77 games on the season, the defender produced 29 points and a plus-14 rating. He missed the final four games of the season with an upper-body injury.

Saturday: Defenseman Jani Hakanpää will be the only rostered player on the Toronto Maple Leafs who won’t be available for the team in their Round One matchup against the Ottawa Senators. In an article from Luke Fox of Sportsnet, Fox reports that defensemen Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and forwards David Kämpf and Max Pacioretty will be available for Toronto on Monday.

Given that the Maple Leafs have few issues scoring goals, McCabe and Ekman-Larsson are the most notable returnees, particularly concerning the team’s penalty kill. Despite finishing the year with a 77.87% success rate, Toronto’s kill average dropped to 75.00% throughout their final seven games without McCabe. The Maple Leafs’ penalty kill ranked just below the NHL average of 78.36%, which could be an avenue to success for Ottawa, given their capable 11th-ranked powerplay.

With respect to the Senators and their season, they arguably present Toronto with their best opportunity to reach Round Two of the postseason for the second time in nine years. After finishing the regular season on a 12-2-1 tear, having a wholly healthy roster for Round One will do nothing but help the Maple Leafs’ chances.

Other injury notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper confirmed that trade deadline acquisition Oliver Bjorkstrand won’t be available for the team’s Round One matchup against the Florida Panthers (Tweet Link). Bjorkstrand sustained a lower-body injury a few days ago, and his Round One availability was in doubt, given that his recovery timeline was designated as week-to-week. The Herning, Denmark native scored five goals and nine points in 18 games for the Lightning after being acquired from the Seattle Kraken before the trade deadline.
  • According to Rachel Hopmayer of CBS Detroit, Detroit Red Wings forward Elmer Söderblom is expected to join the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, for the Calder Cup playoffs once his undisclosed injury has healed. In his first extended stay in the NHL since the 2022-23 season, Söderblom scored four goals and 11 points in 26 games for the Red Wings after being recalled in late January. His addition will boost the Griffins’ postseason chances, given Söderblom scored five goals and 17 points in 38 games with Grand Rapids earlier this season.

Dryden Hunt Clears Waivers

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Saturday: The Flames announced that Hunt has been assigned to AHL Calgary, meaning that he was not claimed off waivers.

Friday: With their 2024-25 campaign concluded, the Calgary Flames are making the moves needed to bolster their AHL ranks per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. That includes placing forward Dryden Hunt on waivers for the purposes of reassignment. Hunt played in the final four games of Calgary’s season and recorded three assists. It was his only scoring of the NHL season, after he also played in a scoreless game in early February.

This move should return Hunt to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, where he’s stood as one of the most impactful players on the roster. Hunt ranks third on the Wranglers in scoring with 48 points in as many games. He is one of just 15 players to appear in more than 25 AHL games and maintain a point-per-game scoring pace this season. That scoring is largely thanks to just how red-hot the Wranglers offense has stayed all season. The Wranglers supported five different forwards to 40-point campaigns, including Rory Kerins (60 points), Martin Frk (58), William Stromgren (48), and Sam Morton (45). Defenseman Jeremie Poirier came one point shy of reaching the 40-point mark as well.

But Hunt’s recent seasons have been building towards a strong showing. He scored 22 points in 23 AHL games last season, and totaled 29 points in 32 games split between the Toronto Marlies and Wranglers during the 2022-23 season. The 29-year-old Cranbrook native has had a journeyman career across the professional leagues, and spent NHL time with each of the Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, and Colorado Avalanche – in addition to Canadian stints in Toronto and Calgary.

In total, Hunt has recorded 54 points and 121 penalty minutes across 235 games in the NHL. Roster rules would require he be assigned to the minor leagues even if another team were to claim him – and doing so might not be a bad bet after a year of consistently strong play in an electric Wranglers top-six. But it seems likely that he’ll instead stay in Calgary, and look to support the Wranglers to a long playoff run.

Senators Recall Leevi Merilainen

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The Senators have added one Black Ace to their roster for the time being.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Leevi Merilainen from AHL Belleville.  He’ll likely serve as Ottawa’s third-string goaltender for the playoffs.

The 22-year-old certainly impressed in his limited NHL action this season.  When Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg were both injured, Merilainen briefly took over as Ottawa’s starter.  Instead of merely holding his own while waiting for Ullmark to come back, Merilainen put up a stellar 1.99 GAA and a .925 SV% in a dozen appearances with Ottawa.  Instead of the team faltering during that stretch, he picked up eight wins which played a crucial role in their making the playoffs this season.

Merilainen spent the rest of the year in the minors with Belleville.  While his numbers weren’t quite as strong there, they were still above average as he posted a 2.36 GAA and a .913 SV% in 35 outings with them.  A restricted free agent this summer, he could be in line for a full-time spot with Ottawa next season as Ullmark’s backup with Forsberg slated to reach unrestricted free agency in July.

Belleville’s season will come to an end tonight after they were eliminated from playoff contention last night.  Accordingly, Ottawa should be bringing up a much bigger group of players as soon as Sunday.

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