Minor Transactions: 11/07/22
We have a trio of games on the schedule tonight, with the New York Islanders hosting the Calgary Flames, the Boston Bruins taking on the St. Louis Blues in a 2019 Stanley Cup Final rematch, and the Edmonton Oilers up against the Washington Capitals. Amid all the NHL action, some minor league and overseas teams have made changes to their rosters. We’ll round up those moves here.
- 2010 first-round pick and former NHL forward Quinton Howden signed a contract with Jukurit of the Finnish Liiga today. Howden, 30, spent last season playing for Kolner Haie of the German DEL and had 18 points in 45 games there. He joins a Jukurit side looking to improve their fortunes as they currently sit eleventh in the Liiga standings.
- Former Nashville Predators prospect Patrick Harper has changed clubs. Per a team announcement, Kristianstads IK have signed the 24-year-old winger from fellow HockeyAllsvenskan side Mora IK. Harper had six points in 12 games for Mora and joins a Kristianstads team that boasts another former NHL prospect: 2016 fourth-round pick Jack Kopacka.
- Veteran minor league defenseman Brandon Fehd is headed back to North America after a season in Europe. The 31-year-old blueliner spent most of last season with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden and has now signed with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder.
New York Islanders Recall Robin Salo
Nov 7: After playing yesterday for Bridgeport, Salo is back up with the Islanders today. He’ll be available for them tonight against the Calgary Flames.
Nov 6: The New York Islanders announced a roster move this morning, sending defenseman Robin Salo to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. This is not the first time this season that Salo has been sent to the AHL, although he is yet to play a game in Bridgeport this year.
Salo, now 24, was the Islanders’ top draft pick at the 2017 draft, getting selected 46th overall. At the time, Salo was seen as a safer selection, having already established himself as a regular contributor in his native Finland’s top professional league.
Since that point, the Islanders have been extremely patient with Salo’s development, and he spent a full half-decade playing as a regular Liiga defenseman before finally making the jump to North American pro hockey last season.
In 2021-22, Salo played 40 games in Bridgeport and 21 on Long Island, scoring 20 points at the AHL level and five in the NHL. This year Salo has played in just four of the Islanders’ games, and has lost out a regular spot next to partner Scott Mayfield in favor of veteran Sebastian Aho.
The Islanders did not announce a corresponding call-up after this move, hinting at the possibility that this send-down is merely a paper transaction to bank cap space for the trade deadline. The move leaves the Islanders with just six defensemen on their active roster, so unless the team plans to call up a different blueliner the paper transaction would seem like the most likely explanation for this move.
That being said, the possibility that the Islanders simply prefer to get the young Salo some time in Bridgeport to keep him from spending too long as a healthy scratch cannot be ruled out.
Snapshots: Avalanche Transactions, MacKenzie, Orlov
The Colorado Avalanche made some roster tweaks early this morning, sending both Martin Kaut and Mikhail Maltsev to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. This isn’t the first roster shuffle of the year for either of these players, as both have split time this year between the Eagles and the Avalanche.
This transaction, though, is likely more of a cap-related paper transaction than a move made with the intention of getting Kaut and Maltsev into AHL games. Without any corresponding call-ups, this move has left the avalanche with just ten forwards on their active roster. While it’s entirely possible that Kaut and/or Maltsev are headed to the AHL for an extended period, that doesn’t look like the likely outcome of these roster moves at the moment.
Some other notes from across the hockey world:
- Derek MacKenzie, a retired former NHLer with over 600 career games on his resume, seems to have found a new coaching job. After departing the Florida Panthers this summer, (he was there as an assistant coach from 2018-19 through 2020-21) MacKenzie looks set to join the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves as their next head coach, per Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. The Wolves make this move hoping that MacKenzie will be the person to turn their season around amid a 3-8-2 start that led to the firing of coach Craig Duncanson.
- Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov left last night’s contest against the Arizona Coyotes with a lower-body injury. While the full extent of that injury is not yet known, we do have some more information on Orlov’s status. NBC Sports Washington’s Matt Weyrich reports that Orlov wasn’t on the ice for the start of Capitals practice this morning. Per coach Peter Laviolette, Orlov’s status is considered day-to-day.
Matthew Tkachuk To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will have a hearing today in response to an incident that took place in last night’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings.
During the dying moments of the game, Tkachuk high-sticked Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, lifting his blade to the point where it was inside Quick’s mask. Kings defenseman Matt Roy called it a “dirty play,” per The Athletic’s Eric Stephens, and implored the league to “look at” the play, communicating a desire to see Tkachuk face disciplinary action.
Now, it looks like disciplinary action will be coming. Tkachuk has so far fit the Panthers like a glove, scoring 17 points in his first 12 games in Sunrise. With a likely suspension on the way, Tkachuk will face his first major speed bump in his tenure as a Panther.
Toronto Maple Leafs Reportedly Sign Keith Petruzzelli
12:15 PM: The Maple Leafs have now made their signing of Petruzzelli official.
9:30 AM: The Toronto Maple Leafs received some bad news last night when starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov was knocked out of the game with a knee injury. With Samsonov now possibly set to miss time, the Maple Leafs have made a move to shore up their personnel in the crease. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Toronto has signed goaltender Keith Petruzzelli to an NHL deal.
Since this contract would be Petruzzelli’s first NHL deal, it will be a two-year entry-level deal. The terms of the deal and the signing have not been officially announced by the Maple Leafs, but the official word should be coming soon.
Petruzzelli, 23, was a third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings at the 2017 draft who signed an AHL deal in Toronto after a solid four-year collegiate career at Quinnipiac University. He spent most of his time last year with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, notching a .927 save percentage in 23 games played.
So far this season, Petruzzelli has spent his time at the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies. There, he is 6-0 in his first six starts with a .922 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average.
This signing is made in large part due to the increasingly desperate situation the Maple Leafs find themselves in in their crease. With Matt Murray already on long-term injured reserve and Ilya Samsonov potentially out for some time, the Maple Leafs need another player in their net to support Erik Kallgren.
Petruzzelli, with this contract, could get a chance to play in some NHL games if Samsonov does indeed miss some time with a knee injury.
Ottawa Senators Re-Assign Jacob Bernard-Docker
Just two days after he was called up, the Ottawa Senators have re-assigned defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
Bernard-Docker, 22, was a Senators first-round pick at the 2018 draft. The blueliner had a three-year collegiate career at the University of North Dakota before turning pro in the spring of 2021. That year, Bernard-Docker made his NHL debut, playing in five games for the Senators down the stretch of their season.
Last year, Bernard-Docker spent most of his year in the AHL, playing 58 games for Belleville. He didn’t exactly impress, scoring just nine points in those games, but his defensive play was at times strong and he did earn eight games at the NHL level.
This year has been seen by many as a crucial year for Bernard-Docker’s development. He has just one point in eight games at the AHL level so far this year and will head back to Belleville with a clear mandate to improve his overall game so that he can earn another NHL call-up, and perhaps one that even includes some NHL minutes.
Snapshots: Heinola, Blackwood, Letang
Ville Heinola, a member of the Winnipeg Jets organization, was once one of the fastest-rising prospects from the 2019 NHL draft. He had an impressive training camp and preseason in the fall of 2019, and earned a look on the team’s season-opening roster. Heinola scored five points in eight games before being sent down to the AHL and then eventually departing to play in his native Finland, and most were of the belief that Heinola was nearing a role as a regular defenseman in Winnipeg. Since that point, though, Heinola has skated in just 17 more NHL games, and currently finds himself on the outside looking in on the team’s blueline situation.
Apparently, this hasn’t sat well with Heinola or his camp. Heinola is “reportedly growing frustrated with being sent to the AHL” again this season, according to his agent, Alain Roy, via The Hockey News’ Jacob Stoller. “Ville doesn’t deserve a guaranteed spot in the lineup,” Roy said. “He deserves a shot to play a run of games to show he can do it. And that’s all we’re asking for.” Heinola is just 21 years old and a talented puck mover, but he hasn’t yet shown the defensive prowess or strength and speed combination that would force the Jets’ hand. With Josh Morrissey, Dylan Samberg, and Brenden Dillon each occupying spots on the left side of the Jets’ blueline, Winnipeg may not be able to afford Heinola the “run of games” he desires.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- The New Jersey Devils are the NHL’s hottest team at the moment, but goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has not been one of the team’s bright spots. Blackwood has an .880 save percentage this year, and it appears he now has to face another issue beyond just his performance. Devils coach Lindy Ruff said, as relayed by Devils team reporter Amanda Stein, that Blackwood is “meeting with doctors” in Calgary today. Blackwood left his last game in discomfort, and this could be a signal that he might miss some time.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten off to a slow start so far this season, and among many reasons for the team’s lackluster performance has been the uneven start from star defenseman Kris Letang. Letang hasn’t been his best so far this season, and today we received some explanation as to why. Per Letang, he has been battling an illness and has been playing through it for the past stretch of games. The Penguins are eager to get their season back on track quickly given how competitive the Metropolitan Division looks, so getting Letang back to full health would be a major step toward getting there.
St. Louis Blues Activate Keean Washkurak, Assign To AHL
As first reported by CapFriendly, the St. Louis Blues have removed prospect forward Keean Washkurak from their season-opening injured-reserve list, and assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Washkurak had left wrist surgery after being injured in the preseason and is now ready to begin his sophomore professional campaign.
The 21-year-old forward was the Blues’ fifth-round choice at the 2019 draft and made his full professional debut last season with the Thunderbirds. A solid top-six forward at the junior level, Washkurak played in a bottom-six role last season and scored a healthy 13 goals and 23 points in 64 games. Washkurak also got some looks on the team’s power play, although he was not a major contributor there.
Now 21 years old and fully in the professional phase of his development, this season will go a long way in determining if an NHL future is in the cards for Washkurak. That makes his return to health after missing just eight of the Thunderbirds’ games so important.
Springfield has gotten off to an uneven start so far in the AHL, with a 4-3-1 record, and they will hope that Washkurak returning to their lineup can help them find the form they showed last season when they made a run to the Calder Cup Final.
Derek Forbort Out Week-To-Week
The Boston Bruins have lost another valuable contributor to a week-to-week injury. Per a team announcement, defenseman Derek Forbort underwent successful surgery on his right middle finger, and the expected recovery time is four to six weeks.
Forbort, 30, had played in all ten of the Bruins’ games this season up until tonight. He’s been an important cog in the Bruins’ blueline, handling 18:48 time on ice per game and leading the team in short-handed ice time per game. Forbort has three points as well so far this season and has been one of new coach Jim Montgomery’s most trusted defenders.
The Bruins are currently missing Charlie McAvoy, David Krejci, Jeremy Swayman, and Craig Smith due to injury, but that hasn’t stopped them from getting off to an NHL-best 9-1 start.
Veteran defenseman Anton Stralman, who earned a job in Boston after arriving on a PTO, will likely take Forbort’s defense-first role. The injury could also provide some opportunity for the Bruins to get a longer look at Jakub Zboril or Mike Reilly, who are both currently healthy scratches.
While this injury is far from an ideal development for Boston, the team has overcome all injury troubles they’ve faced so far this season. While this injury may hurt their penalty kill in the short-term, the Bruins have played well enough so far this year to give confidence that they can survive in Forbort’s absence.
Latest On Shane Wright
Just five games into his professional career, it seems as though Shane Wright‘s world has been turned upside down. The former exceptional-status OHL star was drafted fourth-overall by the Seattle Kraken at this past summer’s NHL draft, and from the moment he was drafted (and perhaps even before that as well) there had been the expectation that Wright would step immediately into an NHL lineup.
So far, Wright has been a healthy scratch for the majority of the Kraken’s contests, and when he does play he averages just under seven minutes of ice time per game. Wright has taken just a single shot on net in the games he’s played, and there seems to be significant confusion as to what the Kraken’s development plan exactly is with their top prospect.
On tonight’s Insider Trading program, TSN’s Darren Dreger shed some light on what the Kraken are planning to do with Wright this year. Per Dreger, it is “very likely” that Seattle will retain Wright rather than send him back to his OHL team, the Kingston Frontenacs. Due to the transfer agreement between the NHL and CHL, Wright must either be in the NHL or the OHL, and cannot be reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate the way other prospects can be.
That being said, though, Dreger notes that per the NHL-CHL agreement Wright would be permitted a one-time AHL reassignment if he is a healthy scratch for five-straight games.
That assignment would last a maximum of fourteen days, though, so it still wouldn’t be a long-term solution. What it would do is allow Wright to at least get some game action under his belt, and he may even be able to play a top-of-the-lineup role if that’s what coach Dan Bylsma would have in mind.
The Firebirds are 4-2 to start their first-ever season and have four players who are so far scoring at above a point-per-game rate. Perhaps the Kraken believe that a short stay in an environment more friendly to Wright’s offensive development could spark him to be more assertive upon his return to the NHL lineup.
Dreger reports that the short-term AHL route is “something the Kraken are considering,” and adds that Seattle is also considering loaning Wright to Team Canada so that he could take on a starring role in the World Junior Championships.
Those games begin in December, though, so in the more immediate term, the Kraken will need to settle on what exactly they plan on doing with Wright, because his current situation is far from ideal for his growth.
The Kraken are looking to have a more competitive season than they had last year, and coach Dave Hakstol could very well be on the hot seat after their disappointing first campaign.
On one hand, if he believes leaving Wright (who, to be fair, has not looked great in his limited NHL action) out of his nightly lineup gives him the best chance to win games, one can certainly respect that decision.
But on the other hand, Wright is one of the Kraken organization’s most important assets. He is a potential long-term solution down the middle, a possible future top-six center to pair with Matty Beniers for the next decade or longer.
His development into that sort of player would be a major step forward for the Kraken, meaning hindering Wright’s growth in order to win in the short term is something that could cost Seattle dearly in the future.
Pictures courtesy of USA Today Sports Images