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Blackhawks Recall Lukas Reichel

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With Lukas Reichel being an important part of Chicago’s rebuild, it was only a matter of time before he was given another look with the Blackhawks.  That time has come as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the winger has been recalled from AHL Rockford although he was a healthy scratch tonight against Los Angeles.  In a corresponding move, winger Zach Sanford was assigned to the IceHogs.

Expectations were high for the 21-year-old coming into the season after how he fared last season in Chicago when he collected seven goals and eight assists in just 23 games.  With the Blackhawks having several openings up front, the hope was that Reichel could grab hold of a full-time top-six role.

However, that didn’t happen.  Instead, Reichel struggled in a variety of spots on the depth chart while also getting a look at center for a handful of games.  He wound up notching just three goals and seven helpers in his first 50 appearances, resulting in Chicago deciding to send him down last month for a bit of a reset.

While Reichel didn’t light it up with the IceHogs, he did have some success with a goal and six assists in nine appearances.  Last year, Reichel made his biggest impact following a post-deadline recall and now, the Blackhawks hope that history will repeat itself.  With Reichel being a restricted free agent this summer, he’ll be counting on a big finish to help his case in contract discussions in the offseason.

As for Sanford, he has split the season between Arizona and Chicago, who claimed him off waivers back in January.  He has played in 29 NHL games between the two organizations, collecting six assists while averaging just under 11 minutes a night of action.  Sanford cleared waivers last month and had been papered down at the trade deadline, permitting him to play in Rockford moving forward.

2024 AHL Trade Deadline Roundup

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The AHL trade deadline was today, one week after the NHL’s trade deadline.  We saw the Senators swing a pair of trades today for the NHL rights to players who were then assigned to their affiliate while a handful of other moves were made.  Here’s a rundown of those per the AHL’s transactions log.

  • The Red Wings recalled defenseman Jared McIsaac from his loan in Switzerland and moved him to Boston’s farm team in exchange for center Curtis Hall. McIsaac had four points in 15 games for Grand Rapids and suited up just three times with Ambri-Piotta.  Hall, meanwhile, has been fairly productive in limited action with the Bruins’ affiliate, notching six points in a dozen appearances.  Both players are restricted free agents with arbitration rights this summer and if the swap works well, the two teams could execute it at the NHL level in the summer.
  • The Sharks have found a new place to play for winger Ozzy Wiesblatt, loaning him to Milwaukee. The 22-year-old was a first-round pick by San Jose back in 2020 (31st overall) but has struggled this season, notching just three goals and eight assists in 34 games.  Wiesblatt is signed through next season and his AHL rights will revert to the Barracuda for 2024-25.
  • Tampa Bay’s affiliate picked up defenseman Quinn Schmiemann from Abbotsford. It’s a return of sorts for the 22-year-old who was drafted by the Lightning back in 2019 but didn’t sign with them.  Schmiemann played in 25 games this season with the Canucks’ affiliate, picking up a goal and five assists.
  • New Jersey’s affiliate picked up blueliner Austin Osmanski from St. Louis’ farm team. The 25-year-old has seen AHL action in the past three seasons but has been limited to just ten contests so far where he has an assist and 20 penalty minutes.

Penguins Recall Jack St. Ivany, Assign Ryan Shea

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Jack St. Ivany and assigned Ryan Shea to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Twitter link).

This marks the first recall of St. Ivany’s career, coming in his second pro season. St. Ivany was originally drafted 112th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2018, though he signed his first pro deal with the Penguins in 2022 after going unsigned by Philadelphia. St. Ivany took his talents to Yale University in the year after his draft, playing two seasons in the Ivy League before transferring to Boston College for his final two years of college. Despite never being known for his high scoring, St. Ivany managed 60 points across 115 NCAA games, including a collegiate-high 24 points in his senior year. He made his jump to the AHL last season, recording eight assists, 33 penalty minutes, and a -17 in 63 games but failing to score his first professional goal. That feat had to wait until this season, where St. Ivany has managed a much more serviceable four goals, 12 points, 30 penalty minutes, and +14 in 52 games. The 24-year-old is currently riding a 10-game cold streak, though, failing to score a point since a two-goal performance on February 14th.

St. Ivany now jumps to the NHL level, where he’ll serve in a depth role that was previously maintained by Shea. The two defenders aren’t far off, both posting meager scoring totals but bringing an impact with their long reach and poised passing. The Penguins will hope St. Ivany can produce a little bit more than Shea, who has yet to record his first NHL point through 22 career games. But with the Penguins defense healthy and, for the most part, clicking – it may be a bit before St. Ivany receives his NHL debut.

Western Notes: Scheifele, Vilardi, Dunn, Kovalenko

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The Winnipeg Jets could be getting major reinforcements back soon, with the team hopeful that Mark Scheifele will return to the lineup on Friday, per Scott Billeck with the Winnipeg Sun. Billeck also shared that Gabriel Vilardi will remain out on Friday. Vilardi has been out since February 29th with an upper-body injury, missing the team’s last seven games. The extended absence has continued a season of injuries for Vilardi, who has now missed 27 games on the season.

Scheifele missed Winnipeg’s Wednesday night game with illness. He continues to lead the Jets in scoring, with 19 goals and 57 points in 58 games. The Jets simply haven’t been the same team without Scheifele, averaging a measly 1.57 goals-per-game in his absence compared to 3.22 goals-per-game with him in the lineup – leading Winnipeg to a 2-5-0 record without their top forward.

Scheifele’s importance to the Winnipeg roster can’t be understated, placing plenty of weight on his game-time decision ahead of Friday’s matchup. If he can’t go, the Jets will need to rely on one of David Gustafsson or Rasmus Kupari. Gustafsson has been Winnipeg’s de facto fill-in this year, with four points in 31 games, though Kupari’s role as a natural center could earn him a leg-up, even despite his sole assist through 27 games this season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Seattle Kraken will be without defenseman Vince Dunn for the fourth straight game, per Scott Malone with Root Sports. Dunn has been Seattle’s top defender this year, averaging over 23 minutes of ice time for the second-straight season. Dunn has managed 11 goals and 45 points in 57 games on the season, scoring at nearly the exact same pace as he did last season, when he posted a career-high 14 goals and 64 points in 71 games. Without Dunn, Seattle has promoted top young defender Ryker Evans back into an NHL role. Evans has five assists in 19 games this season – the first games of his NHL career – though he’s still searching for his first career goal. Evans has also managed two goals and 15 points in 25 AHL games this year.
  • The Colorado Avalanche could be adding a major boost even after the Trade Deadline, with Russian forward Nikolai Kovalenko reportedly headed to America soon, per Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now, as well as a social media post from Kovalenko’s barber. The Avalanche drafted Kovalenko in the sixth-round of the 2018 NHL Draft, with the winger since emerging as a strong option for the KHL’s Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo. The 24-year-old scored 11 goals and 35 points in 42 KHL games this season, after posting a career-high 21 goals and 54 points in 56 games last season. He will look to carry that same scoring energy onto the high-offense Colorado lineup.

Bruins Recall John Beecher On Emergency Loan

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March 13: The Bruins have again recalled Beecher from AHL Providence on an emergency basis, GM Don Sweeney announced Wednesday. Beecher was returned to Providence yesterday after being a last-minute scratch for Monday’s 5-1 win over the Penguins. Since his initial recall was also under emergency conditions, the Bruins have retained all of their four post-deadline recalls. Today’s recall comes as winger James van Riemsdyk is absent from practice for undisclosed reasons, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.

March 11: The Boston Bruins have recalled forward John Beecher from the minor leagues, per the AHL Transaction logs. Beecher has been in the AHL since mid-January, appearing in 17 games and scoring eight points – split evenly – with the Providence Bruins.

Beecher, 22, was a training camp surprise, making the Bruins opening roster alongside fellow rookie Matthew Poitras. He made his NHL Debut in Boston’s season-opener, recording his first penalty and his first fight. He’s since played in 39 NHL games, scoring five goals and seven points – and managing a modest 15 penalty minutes after carrying seven out of game one. He’s still searching for his scoring groove at the professional level, after managing just 23 points in 61 games as an AHL rookie last season. Though scoring has never been Beecher’s forté, with the centerman totaling 39 points in 81 games during his three years at the University of Michigan. His positives are instead more nuanced, with Beecher managing an impressive 53.9 faceoff percentage as an NHL rookie and averaging 2.23 hits-per-game.

This move spends one of Boston’s four remaining recalls and brings their roster back to a full 23. Beecher will likely serve as a depth forward, rotating in with Justin Brazeau and Marc McLaughlin. His presence is much-needed, as the Bruins currently carry forward Pat Maroon, Milan Lucic, and Poitras on their injured reserve.

Blue Jackets Recall Brendan Gaunce On Emergency Loan

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11:00 AM: Kirill Marchenko is under the weather, and may not be ready for the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispact (Twitter Link). Gaunce will fill-in for Marchenko if he can’t go, while Meyer fills in for Danforth.

10:00 AM: The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Brendan Gaunce from the AHL under emergency conditions. This move comes after Columbus played without Justin Danforth on Saturday, losing the forward to what was initially believed to be an illness but has now been revealed as a concussion.

Gaunce will provide additional depth to a Blue Jackets club marred by injuries, with promising youngsters Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson both missing extended time, while top winger Patrik Laine is away from the team for personal reasons. Gaunce is in his third season with the Columbus organization and has already appeared in eight NHL games this season, recording one goal and three points. Much of his remaining year has come with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he ranks second in scoring with 19 goals and 39 points in 46 games. Gaunce is once again serving as a routine injury fill-in – sticking to the role he carved out early in his career. The former first-round pick has totaled just 161 NHL games since making his debut in the 2015-16 season, scoring 27 points. He’s also managed 343 career AHL games, netting 233 points.

Gaunce will join Carson Meyer in the Blue Jackets’ extras room. Meyer was recalled on Sunday and is expected to fill in for Danforth on Tuesday. He has served in a largely similar role to Gaunce, serving as a de facto call-up for Columbus over the last three seasons – although Meyer has yet to play in the NHL this year, instead totaling 22 goals and 37 points in 55 AHL games. He appeared in 14 NHL games last year, netting just one assist and bringing his career totals up to 27 NHL games and four points. The 26-year-old made his debut with the Cleveland Monsters in 2020-21, after four seasons in the NCAA. He and Gaunce will likely rotate in with each other, as Columbus looks to address their long list of missing forwards.

Devils Acquire Nathan Légaré From Canadiens

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The Devils swapped out minor-league forwards on Monday, acquiring Nathan Légaré from the Canadiens in exchange for Arnaud Durandeau. In the one-for-one deal, Legare will report to AHL Utica, and Durandeau will report to AHL Laval.

This is the second time both wingers have been traded in the last year. Légaré, a 2019 third-round pick of the Penguins, was sent to Montreal to balance out contracts in last summer’s three-team swap revolving around Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. Durandeau, a 2017 sixth-round pick of the Islanders, was acquired by New Jersey in November for minor-league forward Tyce Thompson.

Neither player lived up to expectations with their previous organization. Légaré, 23, carries intrigue as a 6-foot, 205-lb power winger who scored over a point per game in three straight QMJHL seasons with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Val-d’Or Foreurs between 2019 and 2021. He hasn’t been able to elevate himself out of a bottom-six role in the minors, however, and is having the worst offensive season of his AHL tenure with six goals and nine points in 39 games with Laval, along with a -10 rating.

Durandeau is older at 25 but has shown much more offensive promise at the professional level. The Montreal native broke out for 24 goals and 55 points in 68 games with AHL Bridgeport last season but got off to a rough start in 2023-24, scoring once through his first 12 games. Things improved in Utica, but not by much, scoring three goals and 14 points in 26 games. He’ll look to give himself a fresh start closer to his hometown.

Since this trade was executed past the March 8 deadline, neither player is eligible to suit up for their new NHL club down the stretch. However, they’ll both be able to play for their new farm teams down the stretch and participate in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Both players are pending RFAs and will remain under team control if they receive qualifying offers. Légaré is nearing completion of his three-year, entry-level contract and currently earns $70K in the minors, while Durandeau is completing a two-year, two-way deal that pays him a minors salary of $100K with a $125K guarantee. As such, the Devils save a minor amount of actual cash in this transaction.

Devils Recall Nolan Foote From Conditioning Stint

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Left winger Nolan Foote led the New Jersey Devils onto the practice sheet today as he was officially recalled from his AHL conditioning stint. Foote has been working his way back from a preseason upper-body injury that held him out until February 26th, when he was assigned to the Utica Comets. Foote has appeared in four games with Utica, scoring three goals and four points. He’ll now have a chance to establish himself in the NHL, back with the Devils for the first time since late March of last season.

Foote is still new to his professional career, making his AHL debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s since spent the majority of his time in the minors, including 55 games in each of the last two seasons, though he’s received six or seven NHL games every year. In total, he’s managed 86 points across 134 career AHL games, on top of five goals and seven points in 19 NHL games.

Foote’s return comes at an apt time, coming right after the team traded top-scoring winger Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets. That’s left a hole in the lineup that’s currently being filled by utility player Kurtis MacDermid, who has just two goals in 33 games this season. Foote should be able to compete for that role, though he’ll need to take advantage of his opportunity, with the Devils on the tail ends of the playoff race.

Rangers Sign Louis Domingue To One-Year Extension

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The New York Rangers have signed veteran goaltender Louis Domingue to a one-year, one-way extension. The deal will carry a league-minimum $775K salary, per Renauld Lavoie of TVA Sports. This will continue Domingue’s tenure with the Rangers, after the netminder signed a two-year, $1.5MM deal with the club in the summer of 2022.

Domingue didn’t play in the NHL at all last season – marking the first time since the 2013-14 season that he was absent from the league. His debut with the Rangers didn’t come until November 9th of this season, when he saved 25 of 26 shots en route to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Domingue has otherwise spent all season in the minor leagues, where he’s managed 13 wins and a .910 save percentage in 24 games. He’s continued to perform well after posting 22 wins and a .911 in 45 games last year – serving as the Hartford Wolf Pack’s starter over prospect Dylan Garand. Those roles have since shifted this season, with the 21-year-old Garand barely beating out Domingue for the starter’s net, with the pair have working together to lead Hartford to a 29 wins in 54 games. They rank fourth in the AHL’s Atlantic Division and ninth in the league.

The Rangers mark the seventh team of Domingue’s career, making him one of the NHL’s biggest journeymen. Much of his career has been spent as a backup option or depth recall, though, with Domingue’s only seasons of 30 or more games coming in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. He recorded 39 and 31 games respectively in those years, adding a .912 and .908 save percentage. While big years, they weren’t enough to land Domingue a consistent role, with a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning kicking off his third-string placement. He has totaled 143 career games across nine different seasons, managing 60 wins and a commendable .905 save percentage. He will likely remain a depth option for the Rangers, though his veteran presence could prove invaluable as the Rangers approach a long playoff run.

Devils Reassign Akira Schmid

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4:10 p.m.: The Devils have returned Schmid to Utica after dropping today’s game against the Hurricanes 4-2. Barring injuries, that’s where he’ll remain for the rest of the season. He likely won’t be needed for Monday’s game against the Rangers as Kahkonen reportedly made it to New Jersey after the loss, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reports.

10:45 a.m.: After acquiring Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen in separate trades on Friday, the Devils returned goaltender Akira Schmid to AHL Utica.  However, his stint will be short-lived for now as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that Schmid has been recalled and will serve as the backup today versus Carolina.

Kahkonen hasn’t made it to New Jersey just yet while Allen will require a work visa, a process that will be delayed due to the weekend so he likely won’t be available until closer to the middle of next week.  Accordingly, they needed a second option behind Nico Daws for today so this will qualify as an emergency recall, not one of their four post-deadline regular recalls.

It has been a disappointing season for Schmid so far.  After taking over as the starter down the stretch last season and into the playoffs, the 23-year-old has struggled mightily this season, posting a 3.15 GAA and a .895 SV% through 19 appearances.  Things haven’t gone any better with the Comets either with his numbers down there (3.47 and .886 respectively) being worse than at the NHL level.

One of the positives from New Jersey’s pivot to a new tandem entirely is that both Schmid and Daws will get to return to Utica for the stretch run, allowing them to both play some meaningful games down the stretch with the Comets in a tight battle for a playoff spot.  However, it will be a few more days before that will be able to happen.

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