Jonas Hiller Announces Retirement
One of the best Swiss goaltenders of all-time has decided to hang up his pads, as ECH Biel-Bienne announced today that Jonas Hiller has retired. The former NHL goaltender has been back in Switzerland for the last four seasons still competing at a high level, but just turned 38 and will now move on to the next chapter in his life.
Undrafted, Hiller was an outstanding performer both in the Swiss NLA and on the world stage for his country, before finally coming over to the NHL in 2007. He quickly took control of the Anaheim Ducks net and posted excellent numbers, recording a .916 save percentage over parts of seven seasons. After three trips to the playoffs with the Ducks he ended up playing two seasons with the Calgary Flames, before returning to Europe to establish himself once again as a star in Switzerland. Perhaps most impressive of all his accomplishments was the performance he put on at the 2018 Olympics, posting a .956 save percentage and 1.14 goals against average, both numbers that led the tournament.
A three-time NLA champion, two-time NLA Goaltender of the Year and three-time participant at the Olympic Games, Hiller has had quite the career. He was even selected to the NHL All-Star game in 2011, though he never did capture the Stanley Cup. The 38-year old goaltender finished his career in the NHL with a .914 save percentage across 404 regular season appearances, posting a 197-140-37 record.
Kiefer Sherwood Clears Waivers
Monday: Sherwood has cleared waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
Sunday: The Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Kiefer Sherwood on waivers, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. While the timing of the transaction is unusual, Sherwood was on the roster of the AHL’s San Diego Gulls on Feb. 24, which means he is eligible to play in the AHL playoffs, if they resume at some point.
CapFriendly notes that Sherwood can remain on the roster for 10 games or 30 days before having to pass through waivers again. With the season currently suspended, Sherwood is likely to remain on the NHL roster and then be reassigned to San Diego immediately if play resumes. Anaheim is just trying to stay ahead.
Sherwood has struggled at the NHL level this year. He has just one assist in 10 games for the Ducks, but the 24-year-old has been a key contributor in San Diego, posting 16 goals and 23 points in 37 games. The Gulls are tied for third place in a struggling Pacific Division and if play resumes, will need Sherwood to help guide them into the playoffs.
West Notes: Lindholm, Garland, Josi, Boeser, Toffoli
While the Anaheim Ducks blueline seems to be getting healthier with the pending returns of Josh Manson, Erik Gudbranson and Cam Fowler soon, the team didn’t get a positive update for the return of Hampus Lindholm. The defenseman, who is second on the team in ice time, has no timetable for a return yet and with just 14 games remaining, it’s legitimately possible that he could miss the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required).
Lindholm has missed the last five games after falling awkwardly into the boards while battling for the puck with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. The upper-body injury is part of the problem, although Stephens added that a back issue is also part of the issue. The 26-year-old has two goals and 22 points through 55 games with 71 blocks, while averaging 23:04 of ATOI.
Regardless, the team expects Manson (upper-body injury) to potentially return as early as today, while Gudbranson (upper-body injury) and Fowler (lower-body injury) are both a week or two behind him.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced that forward Conor Garland will be out “week-to-week” after suffering a lower-body injury Friday against Calgary. The injury occurred when Garland collided with Flames’ goaltender Cam Talbot. It’s a tough blow for Arizona as Garland leads the team in goals scored with 22.
- The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry. The incident happened at 15:13 of the second periond (video here) in which Josi cross checked Perry in the head after the play was over. Josi received a two-minute minor, although many have suggested that he should have received a five-minute major instead. Perry was a constant target in Saturday’s game after he received a five-game suspension during the Winter Classic after knocking Ryan Ellis out with a dirty hit. Ellis missed 20 games with a concussion.
- The Vancouver Canucks look to be getting back forward Brock Boeser soon. The 23-year-old forward, who has been out since Feb. 8 with a rib injury, and while he is not expected to play today, Boeser feels that he “is close” to returning, likely later this week, according to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. He participated in a game-day skate with the team in full-contact gear. Boeser has 16 goals and 45 points in 56 games and should immediately upgrade the team’s top-six.
- Sticking with the Canucks, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that Vancouver is unlikely to be able to retain the services of Tyler Toffoli after this season. The forward was acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline for Tim Schaller, prospect Tyler Madden a second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick based on whether the Canucks could sign him to an extension. Already dealing with cap issues, Vancouver still has to give out new contracts to goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Chris Tanev. Toffoli, who is currently making $4.6MM, might be too expensive to hold onto, although there is always the possiblity that the team moves out some contracts to make it happen. Toffoli has five goals and eight points in eight games since arriving in Vancouver.
Minor Transactions: 3/8/20
With 20 teams in action Saturday, there was plenty of playoff implications, which included a big win for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins in a rough, physical matchup. However, many other teams furthered their quest to get into the playoffs or pick up a higher seed with Carolina, Washington, Nashville, Florida, Philadelphia and Edmonton all picking up key wins. Several teams have made roster moves as teams juggle their lineups. We’ll keep track of all minor moves right here:
- Late last night, the Anaheim Ducks announced they have assigned defenseman Brendan Guhle to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Guhle didn’t see much time in the second half of Friday’s game against Toronto, playing just 14:43. The 22-year-old has four goals and eight points in 30 games for the Ducks this year. The Ducks have also recalled goalie Anthony Stolarz from San Diego, reports Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. John Gibson is unavailable after suffering a groin injury against Toronto on Friday.
- The New York Islanders sent defenseman Thomas Hickey to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL, according to the AHL transaction page. The Islanders brought up Hickey on an emergency loan Saturday due to the injury to Johnny Boychuk, but have opted to return Hickey after just one game.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced they have assigned defenseman John Gilmour to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Gilmour was recalled Saturday as a seventh defenseman after the team learned that Lawrence Pilut would not be able to play Saturday night.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Kivlenieks has served as the backup to Joonas Korpisalo recently with Elvis Merzlikins injured. However, Merzlikins served as the backup Saturday, which allows the Blue Jackets to give Kivlenieks more playing time in Cleveland.
- CapFriendly reports that after recalling Janne Kuokkanen from Binghamton Saturday, the New Jersey Devils have already assigned the forward back to his AHL affiliate. The team did not use him in their game on Saturday against the New York Rangers.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned goaltender Filip Gustavsson to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. With Anders Nilsson and Marcus Hogberg both out, the Senators recalled Gustavsson last Monday, but he never got into a game. However, Hogberg is back at practice, meaning he will take over backup duties for Craig Anderson.
Minor Transactions: 03/06/20
The hockey world is in mourning today after Henri Richard‘s death, but the league unfortunately must march on even while grieving. As always, we’ll keep track of the minor moves right here.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Christian Wolanin from the minor leagues, sending Christian Jaros back to take his place. The swap gives them a different option for their trip to the west coast, which starts tomorrow with a game against the San Jose Sharks.
- The New Jersey Devils have sent both Jesper Boqvist and Josh Jacobs back to the AHL. Boqvist, 21, has played 35 games this season but has just four goals and zero assists. He’ll need to find his game again in the minors if he ever wants to be an impact player for the Devils.
- Jonas Johansson has been assigned to the Rochester Americans once again, leaving the Buffalo Sabres after two weeks. The big goaltender now has six games under his belt at the NHL level, with many more likely coming in the future.
- The Anaheim Ducks have returned goaltender Anthony Stolarz to AHL San Diego. He was recalled earlier this week to serve as the backup while Ryan Miller dealt with the flu but now that he has returned, Stolarz can return to his role as the starter for the Gulls. Anaheim has also returned defenseman Simon Benoit to San Diego, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. He was recalled for the second time this season on Wednesday but has yet to see NHL action.
- With Cody Ceci being activated off IR, the Maple Leafs have loaned defenseman Timothy Liljegren to the AHL’s Marlies. The 20-year-old got into 11 NHL games with Toronto, recording an assist while logging just over 10 minutes a night in ice time.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Bryce Kindopp
According to CapFriendly, the Anaheim Ducks have added another prospect to the cupboard, signing undrafted forward Bryce Kindopp to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2020-21 season, while Kindopp will continue to play the rest of this year with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL.
Kindopp, 20, current serves as captain of the Silvertips and is having another strong offensive season. With 38 goals and 71 points in 60 games he leads the team, a notable honor for such a dominant squad. The Silvertips are currently sitting with a 44-12-4 record on the season and are one of the favorites to win the WHL championship.
Even though his offensive game is effective at the junior level, Kindopp doesn’t project to be a top player for the Ducks. What he might be however is another effective depth option to help surround their next wave of high-end talent, getting them back to contention.
Kindopp attended the Colorado Avalanche training camp last summer, and was ranked 170th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in the 2019 draft.
Minor Transactions: 03/01/20
March 1st means one thing. The start of the Gagarin Cup in the KHL, the start of playoffs and playoff runs, which also will include the college playoffs. In the NHL, the Atlantic Division had a dominant day Saturday as the Tampa Bay Lightning broke a four-game losing streak, while the Toronto Maple Leafs picked up a key win over the Vancouver Canucks. However, those wins didn’t aid either team in the division as the Boston Bruins continued their dominance with a 4-0 shutout of the New York Islanders. Should be an interesting month coming up in that Atlantic Division. Teams will continue to make roster moves as we get closer to the playoffs, so keep an eye on these roster moves throughout the day.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned prospect Joshua Norris to the Belleville Senators. The 20-year-old got his feet wet with significant minutes in three games for Ottawa, but failed to register a point in that span. However, with a full schedule this week in Belleville and the fact that they are the top seed in the North Division, it’s likely the Senators will want to develop their young forward as a leader of an AHL playoff team.
- CapFriendly reports that the New Jersey Devils have assigned two players to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The team has sent forward Jesper Boqvist and also assigned defenseman Joshua Jacobs. Boqvist was recalled Saturday, but was not used and has been sent back already, while Jacobs was recalled Thursday, but still hasn’t made his season debut.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced they also have sent two players to the AHL. The team has assigned defenseman Nelson Nogier and forward C.J. Suess to the Manitoba Moose. Nogier was recalled on Thursday, but still hasn’t made his season debut, while Suess was recalled Friday, but did not play either. Suess has appeared in one game for the Jets this season.
- The Vancouver Canucks announced they he recalled forward Justin Bailey on an emergency basis from the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 24-year-old has been dominant in the AHL with 27 goals and 45 points in 49 games, but has appeared in just two games with the Canucks this season with no points. Bailey was recalled with the status of Jay Beagle considered questionable after blocking a shot Saturday.
- The Dallas Stars announced they have recalled forward Justin Dowling from his conditioning loan with the Texas Stars of the AHL. Dowling has missed 15 straight games with an undisclosed injury, but fared well with the Texas squad, picking up three assists in three games. The 29-year-old has three goals and six points in 27 games with Dallas.
- With Ryan Miller battling illness, the Anaheim Ducks announced the recall of goaltender Anthony Stolarz from AHL San Diego as well as blueliner Jani Hakanpaa. Stolarz ranks sixth in the AHL in save percentage this season with a .922 mark and will backup John Gibson in Miller’s absence. Meanwhile, Hakanpaa has yet to see any NHL action with Anaheim and has a goal and 12 assists in 47 minor league contests this season.
Pacific Notes: Russell, Nygard, Lehner, Meier, Backes
The Edmonton Oilers have gotten a boost on defense. The team announced they have swapped roster players. The Oilers have activated defenseman Kris Russell from long-term injured reserve, while placing forward Joakim Nygard on IR as well. Russell’s return is well-timed after the team lost Mike Green for an extended period.
The 32-year-old Russell has been out since Jan. 29 with a concussion, but finally appears ready to return to the team’s defense. Russell is expected to step in as a third-pairing defender Saturday. He has appeared in 49 games with eight assists and 93 blocked shots. Nygard has been out of the lineup since Jan. 29 with a broken hand, but the team didn’t place him onto IR until now. He is not expected back until late March.
- The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) looks into the possibility of whether the Vegas Golden Knights could find a way to keep goaltender Robin Lehner, an unrestricted free agent this summer, in the future. With the estimation of a six-year, $6MM AAV contract as a potential contract for Lehner, Granger notes that it is possible to keep both Lehner and veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, who still has two years remaining at $7MM AAV. However, it would put the team in a very tight cap situation and investing $13MM in goalies doesn’t make much sense. However, the scribe did admit it is possible that the team could conceivably attempt to trade someone like Paul Stastny, who would be in the final year at $6.5MM. Either way, the Golden Knights will have to make some tough decisions this summer.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier is seriously considering playing at the World Championships that will be held in Switzerland. The 23-year-old from Switzerland said he hasn’t given it any real thought yet, but admits it would be a great opportunity to play in front of his own country. Meier did play for the Swiss back in 2018 when they took a silver medal.
- Recently acquired forward David Backes hopes to get into an Anaheim Ducks game soon, perhaps even Sunday against the New Jersey Devils, according to OC Register’s Eliott Teaford. The 35-year-old was acquired a few days before the trade deadline that saw forward Ondrej Kase headed to Boston for Backes, a 2020 first-round pick and a prospect. Backes, however, has not appeared in an NHL games since Jan. 9, and has spent his time this week getting back into game shape. “I’ve probably reached a saturation point where it’s been just me and a coach out there being in a practice situation,” Backes said. “I’ve done a lot of that, so now it’s bumping and grinding and timing and angles. When you haven’t played in two months, it’s going to be a process. But I’m excited to start that process, hopefully, sooner than later.”
Snapshots: Post-Deadline Moves, Thornton, Lindholm
Even though it is referred to as the trade deadline in the NHL, this Monday was not actually that. In fact, teams are still allowed to make basically any move they want, with one caveat—players switching squads will not be eligible for the postseason. With that limitation in place it almost never makes sense for a team to make a trade in the weeks following the deadline but perhaps in one specific situation this year it could.
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced earlier today that Jake Muzzin will be out a month with a broken hand, leaving them with a handful of defenders that were almost all playing in the minor leagues a few years ago. Tyson Barrie stands as the only real defenseman with any experience, at least until Muzzin, Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci return down the road. Perhaps the Maple Leafs could break with tradition and acquire a depth defender just to help them for the next few weeks, given their precarious hold on an Atlantic Division playoff spot.
- Speaking of Toronto, the latest edition of 31 Thoughts by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet includes an interesting nugget regarding the Maple Leafs. When examining the Joe Thornton situation and his recent comments about being disappointed he didn’t move at the deadline, Friedman speculates that the veteran forward could find his way to Toronto should he decide the San Jose Sharks aren’t in a position to compete next season. In fact, Friedman believes that the Maple Leafs considered adding him this year, though there were obvious obstacles in the way. In the summer of 2017 when the Maple Leafs signed Patrick Marleau as a free agent there were plenty of rumors about Thornton joining him there, but will there even be an opportunity for him next season at age-41?
- After leaving last night’s game with an upper-body injury, Hampus Lindholm wasn’t at practice today for the Anaheim Ducks according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Brendan Guhle has been recalled in his absence. Losing Lindholm for any length of time would really test the rest of the Anaheim defenders, perhaps even giving them a chance to see what they have in some of their younger options. The 26-year old logs more than 23 minutes a night for the team, and has 22 points in 55 games.
Washington Capitals Acquire Daniel Sprong
There had been chatter leading up to the deadline that the Washington Capitals may trade a defenseman, and indeed they have. It just wasn’t one of their NHL players. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports the team has sent Christian Djoos to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Daniel Sprong, a swap of two players once considered top prospects.