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Lightning Recall Max Crozier, Assign Alex Barre-Boulet To AHL

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The Lightning made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game this afternoon against the Islanders, announcing they’ve recalled defenseman Max Crozier from AHL Syracuse.  To make room on the roster, winger Alex Barre-Boulet was sent to the Crunch.

Crozier has played in seven games for Tampa Bay this season, all coming last month.  The 23-year-old has a pair of assists in those outings along with ten hits and ten blocks while averaging 14:30 per night in his first taste of NHL action.  Crozier also has played in 32 games with Syracuse, collecting a goal and seven assists.  His recall is likely a precautionary one with Erik Cernak’s status being uncertain for this game having missed Thursday’s contest.

As for Barre-Boulet, his demotion shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after he cleared waivers on Friday.  The 26-year-old has six goals and three assists in 36 games with the Lightning so far and has yet to see any action in the minors despite also clearing waivers at the beginning of the season.  Barre-Boulet finished second in AHL scoring last season with 84 points in 69 games and will be a big boost to a Syracuse team that enters play today four points out of first in the North Division.

East Notes: Tarasenko, Tomek, Bruins

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With the Senators being nowhere close to a playoff spot, pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko sits atop their list of trade chips.  However, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that there is some talk that the 32-year-old might prefer to finish the year in Ottawa.  Tarasenko can control his fate as he has a full no-move clause.  Sticking with them might allow Tarasenko to play a bit higher in the lineup which certainly doesn’t hurt from a negotiating perspective but at the same time, the potential to go deep in the playoffs and contribute could also help his case for securing a multi-year deal on the open market, something he wasn’t able to do last July, instead settling for a one-year, $5MM pact.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Flyers goalie prospect Matej Tomek has signed a one-year extension with Litvinov of the Czech Extraliga, per a team release. The 26-year-old was a third-round pick (90th overall) back in 2015 but struggled in limited college action, resulting in him heading back overseas in 2019.  Since then, Tomek has spent time in both Slovakia and Czechia.  This season, he has a 3.00 GAA and a .911 SV% in 31 games with Litvinov.  The Flyers hold his rights indefinitely so this extension won’t have any impact on that front.
  • A day after recalling defenseman Ian Mitchell and assigning Justin Brazeau to the minors, the Bruins reversed those moves, per the AHL’s transactions log. Brazeau scored in his NHL debut back on Monday after his AHL deal was converted to a two-year NHL pact.  Mitchell, meanwhile, has been shuffled back and forth several times this season.  He has two assists in 13 NHL games so far while adding 14 points in 22 games with Providence.

Vancouver Canucks Announce Multiple Roster Moves

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The Vancouver Canucks have placed centerman Dakota Joshua on injured reserve retroactive to February 13th and Carson Soucy on long-term injured reserve. Joshua is currently week-to-week with a hand injury, while Soucy has already missed the required 10 games, making him eligible to be activated off of LTIR whenever he’s healthy.

In a corresponding move, Vancouver has also recalled defenseman Jett Woo from the AHL. Woo recently received the first midseason call-up of his career, though he’s still waiting to play in his first NHL game. Woo has scored 18 points in 44 AHL games this season, a mark that, surprisingly, ranks second among Abbotsford Canucks defensemen.

Vancouver has promoted rookie forward Arshdeep Bains to the NHL to help fill in for Joshua’s absence. Bains, who has nine goals and 39 points in 42 AHL games this season, made his NHL debut in the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, recording no points, one penalty, and a -2 in roughly 13 and a half minutes of ice time. Bains also added two shots on net, three hits, and one takeaway. He will likely get an extended look in the lineup, though Vancouver also has Sam Lafferty operating as a healthy scratch.

Woo will join Mark Friedman as the extra defenseman on the Canucks roster, backing up Noah Juulsen, who has filled in while Soucy is out. Friedman has appeared in 20 games with Vancouver this season, scoring one point and tallying 21 penalty minutes. Juulsen has six points and 16 penalty minutes of his own, scored through 41 games. Woo would offer a change of pace from each veteran depth defenseman, though the Canucks could be wanting more from the 23-year-old before they rely on him as anything more than added depth.

Minor Transactions: 2/20/24

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While we wait for the trade market to pick up with the deadline now less than three weeks away, there still have been plenty of transactions but largely of the minor variety.  Here’s a rundown of some recent moves with NHL ties.

  • Logan Stankoven’s NHL debut will have to wait. After being recalled earlier today for precautionary reasons, the Stars announced (Twitter link) that the 20-year-old was returned to AHL Texas.  Stankoven has been dominant in his first professional campaign, notching 24 goals and 33 assists in 46 games to lead the AHL in scoring.
  • The Golden Knights announced (Twitter link) that they’ve re-assigned center Byron Froese to AHL Henderson. The 32-year-old played in two games with Vegas on this latest recall, bringing his season total to nine although he’s still looking for his first point.  Froese has 15 points in 37 games so far with the Silver Knights.
  • Artem Anisimov’s time in the Rangers organization has come to an end as he was released from his PTO with AHL Hartford, per a team release. The 35-year-old joined the Wolf Pack early last month and got into 18 games but managed just a goal and three assists.  A veteran of 771 career NHL games, it looks unlikely that Anisimov will be adding to that total.
  • A trio of former NHL players are sticking around in Switzerland as Fribourg-Gotteron of the NL recently announced that forwards Lucas Wallmark, Marcus Sorensen, and Jacob de La Rose have all signed two-year extensions through the 2026-27 season. Each player last saw time at the NHL level back in the 2020-21 campaign with de la Rose having the most experience, suiting up in 242 games between Montreal, Detroit, and St. Louis.

Bruins Move Matthew Poitras To LTIR, Recall Mason Lohrei

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The Boston Bruins have moved rookie forward Matthew Poitras to long-term injured reserve and recalled rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei from the AHL, per team reporter Joe Haggerty. Poitras has been declared as out for the season after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. He was 33 games into his NHL career, scoring five goals and 15 points, after surprising fans by making the roster out of training camp. Lohrei also had a strong training camp, leading many to believe he’d join Poitras in making the NHL roster. That didn’t come to fruition, with Lohrei starting the season in the AHL, but he quickly earned a call-up and NHL debut. He’s since played in 27 NHL games, scoring six points, split evenly, while also scoring 13 points in 17 AHL games.

Lohrei has emerged as a top prospect in Boston’s system this year – his first full professional season. The 23-year-old defenseman made his pro debut last year, following the end of The Ohio State University’s season, playing in eight AHL games between the regular season and playoffs and recording one assist. He’s since only added one more AHL goal to his resume, though he has managed three NHL goals already, speaking to where he might fit better. Lohrei has always been a productive defender, scoring 61 points in 71 games over the course of two seasons at Ohio State. The Bruins drafted Lohrei 58th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He’s since become one of 15 players from that round to make their NHL Debut, including rookie standout Brock Faber and sophomore scorer John-Jason Peterka.

Poitras was also a second-round selection, joining the Bruins in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s played in the most NHL games of any player not taken in the Top 10 of that draft, and scored more than all but three players. His success speaks to Boston’s ability to find difference makers throughout the draft, a trait that’s kept them on top of the league for so long. While season-ending surgery is the worst news you can hear in a rookie season, the Bruins have certainly seen enough from Poitras to be eager for his return to the NHL lineup.

Maple Leafs Recall Maxime Lajoie

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The Maple Leafs have brought up some extra depth on the back end before their game tonight against Anaheim as the team announced (Twitter link) that blueliner Maxime Lajoie has been recalled from AHL Toronto.

The 26-year-old has been shuffled back and forth twice already this month although it didn’t result in any playing time.  Lajoie did play four games with the Maple Leafs earlier this season, getting held off the scoresheet while averaging just 9:32 per game.  However, he has been productive in the minors with the Marlies, recording 17 points in 31 appearances so far.  With 74 career NHL contests under his belt, Lajoie has been in the recallable depth role for the past few years now.

Toronto had a full 23-player roster before making this recall so there’s a corresponding roster move that hasn’t officially been announced yet.  Speculatively, that could be blueliner Mark Giordano landing on the non-roster list following the death of his father; Lajoie would then need to be sent back down upon Giordano’s return to the team.  While Morgan Rielly remains out as he continues to serve his suspension, the Maple Leafs don’t get an extra roster spot while he’s out of the lineup.

Canucks Recall Arshdeep Bains, Assign Jett Woo To AHL

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The Canucks made a pair of roster moves on Friday, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Arshdeep Bains from AHL Abbotsford.  In a corresponding move, defenseman Jett Woo was re-assigned to the AHL.

It’s the first career recall for Bains, who signed with Vancouver as an undrafted free agent two years ago.  The 23-year-old is the top scorer for Abbotsford, notching nine goals and 30 assists, sitting a dozen points clear of second-place Max Sasson.  Bains is expected to take the place of Dakota Joshua who is listed as week-to-week after injuring his hand in a fight on Tuesday.

As for Woo, his first NHL recall came back on Monday but it winds up being a short-lived one; the 23-year-old didn’t suit up with Vancouver during that time.  Woo is on his second NHL contract having inked a one-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum at the NHL level.  He has 16 points in 42 games so far this season, sitting just five points high of his career high set last season.

While Vancouver could have made an open roster spot available by placing Joshua on injured reserve, they didn’t have enough cap space to afford Bains’ recall on its own, resulting in Woo having to be sent down.

Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner

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With Logan O’Connor dealing with a lower-body injury, the Avalanche have made a roster move to bring up some extra depth up front, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Chris Wagner from AHL Colorado.

It hasn’t been a great season for the 32-year-old.  Wagner signed with Colorado with the hopes that he could battle for a spot on the fourth line with 360 career NHL appearances under his belt.  However, he then ruptured his Achilles tendon in training camp, putting an end to those hopes before he even had a chance to suit up for them in the preseason.

Wagner was cleared to return a little over a month ago, clearing waivers which resulted in him being assigned to the Eagles.  To his credit, he has been fairly productive over the last few weeks, notching three goals and four assists in 11 games.

Colorado had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made to bring Wagner up.  They’re now at the maximum 23-player roster with this transaction.

Coyotes Recall Matt Villalta, Place Liam O’Brien On IR

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The Coyotes recalled netminder Matt Villalta from AHL Tucson on Friday, per a team announcement. Forward Liam O’Brien was moved to injured reserve to create a roster spot.

Villalta, 24, gets his first recall as a member of the Coyotes with starter Connor Ingram sidelined day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Ingram left Wednesday’s game against the Wild after the second period and did not return.

Karel Vejmelka will get the majority of the action while Ingram is out of the lineup. Originally expected to form a tandem with Ingram this year, he’s fallen squarely into the backup position after posting a .897 SV% and 6-12-2 record through 19 starts and four relief appearances.

Villalta is in his first season with the Coyotes after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Kings last summer. He’s suiting up in his fifth season of pro hockey after the Kings selected him 72nd overall in the 2017 draft.

The Kingston, Ontario, native was on an upward trajectory throughout his four seasons for the Kings’ affiliate in Ontario, so it was puzzling to see Los Angeles cut him loose. Villalta has assumed the undisputed starting role in Tucson, logging a .913 SV%, two shutouts, and a 22-11-1 record in 34 games. He leads the league in wins and games played, while his SV% ranks 18th.

He’s a high-end third-string goalie at this stage in his development, and a potential NHL debut with Ingram out of the lineup could go a long way toward demonstrating he has value as an NHL backup as soon as next season. Ingram’s shoes are giant ones to fill, however – he’s been one of the best stories in the NHL this season with a .912 SV% and 17-13-2 record in 35 games, along with 10.8 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

O’Brien, 29, was already listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He last suited up on Feb. 10 against the Predators and will be eligible to return to action for Sunday’s game against the Avalanche, although Arizona will need to clear a roster spot to take him off IR. The team’s primary enforcer has 116 PIMs in 49 games this year, adding three goals and eight points.

Flames Make Multiple Roster Moves

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The Flames recalled forward Dryden Hunt from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers and activated goaltender Daniel Vladař off injured reserve in simultaneous transactions Friday morning, according to a team announcement. To clear the two necessary roster spots, the team assigned forward Cole Schwindt and netminder Dustin Wolf to the Wranglers.

Hunt, 28, has played in four games for the Flames this season, all coming within the first few weeks of the campaign after he made the NHL roster out of training camp. He has not been recalled since the Flames placed him on waivers and reassigned him to the minors in early November.

The undrafted free agent signed by the Panthers in 2016 has done quite well in his latest minor-league stint, posting seven goals and 22 points with a +11 rating in 23 games. The veteran of over 200 NHL games is on his fourth NHL team in the last two seasons after bouncing between the Rangers, Avalanche and Maple Leafs in 2022-23.

Calgary acquired Hunt in a deadline swap of minor-league forwards from Toronto at last year’s trade deadline, but he did not play for the team in the season’s final weeks. He reached unrestricted free agency without an extension in hand on July 1. Still, the Flames brought him back to the organization one day into the signing period with a two-year, two-way deal worth $1.55MM that pays him a minimum guaranteed salary of $400K this year and next.

Hunt scored three goals in 37 games split between the trio mentioned above of squads last season, averaging a career-low 8:04 per game. His expected -2.2 rating was also a career low. He is, however, two years removed from posting a career-high 17 points in 76 games with the Rangers in the 2021-22 campaign.

Vladař returns to the active roster after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury sustained off-ice. He hasn’t played since starting three straight games in mid-January, backing up starter Jacob Markström in five straight before landing on IR last week. The 26-year-old has a career-low .888 SV% and 3.27 GAA, not counting his five-game stint with the Bruins in 2020-21, and has a 7-7-2 record in 16 starts. This year is his third season backing up Markström after being brought over from Boston for a third-round pick in the summer of 2021.

While Markström’s high-end performance this season has generated a significant amount of trade interest, Vladař could be a chip for the Flames to move out if dealing the final three years of Markström’s $6MM AAV deal becomes too much of an obstacle in-season. The 26-year-old is signed through next season at a $2.2MM cap hit.

Schwindt returns to the Wranglers after playing 7:40 in yesterday’s 6-3 loss to the Sharks, posting zeros across the board. He has 2 PIMs, one shot on goal, and a -1 rating in four NHL showings this season dating back to late January.

The latest NHL shot for the 22-year-old Wolf didn’t go as planned. Calgary’s top goalie prospect conceded six goals on 31 shots against the division-worst Sharks last night, dropping his NHL SV% in 2023-24 to .878 through five starts and one relief appearance. The 6-foot California native has still performed at an elite level with the Wranglers, though, recording a .927 SV%, four shutouts, and an 18-7-2 record in 28 games.

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