Detroit Red Wings Recall Taro Hirose On Emergency Basis
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Taro Hirose from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, on an emergency basis.
Hirose last played in the NHL on March 28th, when he skated in just under eight minutes of ice time in a 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that Hirose skated in Adam Erne‘s spot as head coach Derek Lalonde’s third-line left winger next to Joe Veleno and Alex Chiasson since Erne was not at the morning skate.
The 26-year-old has been an up-and-down reserve player for the Red Wings since the 2018-19 season, when he scored seven points in his first 10 NHL games after signing his entry-level contract.
Before that point, Hirose tore the Big 10 apart at Michigan State University, especially in his third season in East Lansing. Hirose finished with 116 points in 106 games as a Spartan, but his most impressive achievements came in his final year there. In 2018-19 Hirose scored 15 goals and 50 points in 36 games. His performance that year led to him being named Big 10 Player of the Year, a First-Team All-American, and a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
While Hirose hasn’t managed to find NHL success yet in his career, he has translated his impressive NCAA production to the AHL level. Hirose leads AHL Grand Rapids with 56 points in 69 games this season and has 164 points in 192 career AHL games.
So, with two games remaining in their season, Detroit has decided to reward Hirose for his leading AHL contributions with an NHL call-up and the chance to skate on the third line for Detroit’s game tonight against the Dallas Stars.
Of note are the AHL implications of this move, which impact the affiliates of two franchises: the Montreal Canadiens and Cleveland Monsters. The two AHL teams are currently in a dogfight for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, with the Belleville Senators in the mix as well. The Rocket currently occupy the fifth and final spot in the standings with 70 points, but they have just three remaining games while Cleveland has four.
The Rocket will play the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins tonight, a team that just recently got one of their better players reassigned back to them from an NHL recall. Meanwhile, the Monsters play the Griffins tonight, and with Hirose recalled Grand Rapids will be without their leading scorer for that game.
That’s a major break for the Monsters, meaning an (admittedly small) added benefit to this transaction is that it could help throw a wrench into the AHL playoff hopes of one of the Red Wings’ division rivals.
Washington Capitals Recall Joe Snively
The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Joe Snively from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, according to a team announcement.
With three games left in the Capitals’ season and making the playoffs out of the picture, Snively now gets the chance to play in his first NHL game since March 14th, when he played 11 and a half minutes in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers.
NBC Sports Washington’s Matt Weyrich relays word from Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette that veteran forward T.J. Oshie is being shut down for the season, so it’s likely that this recall was made now that the possibility of Oshie returning to the lineup has been scuttled.
On the status of Oshie, Laviolette also said that he can’t at the moment give an “accurate answer” on whether Oshie’s injury will require surgery, but noted that it’s something that has bothered the 36-year-old for a while. Oshie is under contract through 2025 at a $5.75MM cap hit, and ranks third on the Capitals with 19 goals this season.
Snively, 27, first truly popped up on scout’s radars during his freshman season at Yale University, where he led the team with 28 points in 32 games and captured ECAC Rookie of the Year honors. Snively ended up having an illustrious collegiate career, finishing with 58 goals and 139 points in 129 games.
He was named an ECAC Second-Team All-Star as a junior and First-Team ECAC All-Star as a senior, and after wrapping up his NCAA career Snively signed with the Capitals, who play their home games about 25 miles away from Herndon, Virginia, where Snively is from.
After a hot nine-game start to his pro career and two more years developing in Hershey, Snively made his NHL debut last season. He played quite a bit above expectation, scoring four goals and seven points in 12 games.
He managed to give the middle of the Capitals’ lineup some life for the brief time he spent on their active roster, highlighted by a game against the Montreal Canadiens where he scored a goal on an impressive individual effort and finished with three points.
In March of last season, after the impressive February run he went on, the Capitals re-signed Snively to a two-year $800k AAV contract, which will expire at the end of next season. While he hasn’t made as much of an NHL impact this season (three points in nine games) he’s remained a quality AHL scorer and a reliable depth player. Over the past two AHL campaigns Snively has scored 63 points in 66 games, and has been a first-line winger for the Bears when healthy.
While there isn’t much left for the Capitals to play for this season, they can deal a blow to the playoff hopes of a division rival, the New York Islanders, by winning tonight. Now on their NHL roster, Snively will have a chance to help in the Capitals’ effort to do so.
Minnesota Wild Recall Marco Rossi
The Minnesota Wild have recalled forwards Marco Rossi and Nic Petan from their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, according to a team announcement.
These recalls come as the Wild are dealing with a major injury suffered by their most accomplished center, Joel Eriksson Ek. With Eriksson Ek out of the picture leading into the team’s playoff series next week, the Wild are exploring options to fill spots down the middle in their lineup, and Rossi is the Wild’s best center prospect.
Petan, on the other hand, is no longer a prospect, but instead a 28-year-old top-scoring AHLer. Petan leads the Wild’s AHL affiliate in scoring with 60 points in 51 games this year, and perhaps this recall is a reward for the strong play he has delivered in Iowa.
As for Rossi, the 21-year-old 2020 first-round pick saw his developmental trajectory significantly disrupted when he was diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition that forced him off the ice for a time. More details on Rossi’s health battle can be found in a story by The Athletic’s Michael Russo. (subscription link) Despite the fact that Rossi has not yet found success at the NHL level, what he has achieved at the AHL level and his return to hockey overall represents a major athletic accomplishment.
This season, Rossi has been a difference-maker for the AHL’s Wild, scoring 50 points in 51 games. In total, he has 103 points in 114 career contests. While he has just one point in 18 career NHL contests, the Wild are planning on Rossi becoming a top-six forward and someone they can rely on into the future.
With this recall, Rossi now has the opportunity to enter the Wild lineup and finally prove himself as an NHLer at a crucial point in Minnesota’s season. Ryan Hartman and Frederick Gaudreau are currently Minnesota’s top two NHL centers, and while they have each scored 36 points this season and are quality pivots, they’re hardly the type of dynamic, star-level centers that typically headline Stanley Cup-winning teams.
The Wild have had a strong season and have dreams that captain Jared Spurgeon will be lifting the Stanley Cup later this year. While Rossi hasn’t yet shown it on NHL ice, his AHL form lends to the idea that he could finally become the type of center the Wild have been missing for years. And if he can become that player just in time for Minnesota’s playoff run, perhaps that Stanley Cup dream could get a little bit closer to reality.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Matthew Knies
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed prospect forward Matthew Knies to an entry-level contract, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. Per his report, Toronto will register his contract today. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Knies’ contract will carry a $925k average annual value. CapFriendly later confirmed Friedman’s report, adding that the contract will pay Knies $832,500 in base salary, $92,500 in signing bonuses, and $80,000 in minors salary each season of the three-year deal. He will be a restricted free agent in 2025.
The Maple Leafs have kept an open contract slot within their 50-man limit for Knies to join the team at the conclusion of his season with Minnesota, and after the Gophers’ heartbreaking overtime loss in the National Championship game, the opportunity to put pen to paper finally arose.
Knies, 20, is a six-foot-three power forward who was selected 57th overall at the 2021 NHL draft. He’s scored at or above a point-per-game rate in both of his seasons at Minnesota, and this year he was one-third of one of hockey’s most promising lines alongside 2022 first-rounders Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud.
A Hobey Baker Award finalist, Knies’ signing with Toronto gives him the opportunity to make his NHL debut and potentially figure into head coach Sheldon Keefe’s lineup equation for the team’s high-stakes first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
While it’s unknown whether the Maple Leafs would be comfortable inserting a rookie with only a few NHL games under his belt into their lineup for such an important series, Knies is the sort of talented, versatile player who could quickly make their decision very easy.
Before that point comes, though, Knies will have to get his feet wet in the NHL. He reportedly flew to Minnesota with the rest of the Minnesota roster after last night’s game, but according to ESPN’s John Buccigross will be flying to Florida to join the Maple Leafs, who play Florida tomorrow and Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
The Maple Leafs already boast an embarrassment of riches in their forward corps, with a group of attackers that collectively can stand among the league’s deepest and most talented. This addition of Knies only adds to that impressive group, and if Knies lives up to the considerable hype could be a factor that finally brings Toronto to their long-awaited playoff series victory.
San Jose Sharks Recall Nikolai Knyzhov, Tristen Robins
The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov and forward Tristen Robins to their NHL roster, according to a team announcement.
Knyzhov, a veteran of 68 career NHL games, last played in the NHL on March 23rd, while Robins, the 56th overall pick at the 2020 draft, hasn’t yet made his NHL debut.
This move comes after the Barracuda were eliminated from playoff contention last night, and they do not play another game until Friday. Seeing as the Sharks play three games this week and finish their season Thursday, these two recalls are a chance for the team to give some NHL games to players without costing them the chance to play in any AHL contests as well.
In 2020-21, Knyzhov looked like a promising up-and-coming defenseman who was playing an increasingly important role with the Sharks. That promising trajectory saw a major interruption because Knyzhov tore his Achilles tendon, and Knyzhov is still working his way back to where he was before suffering that injury.
He looked to be on the verge of establishing himself as an NHL regular, and now he’s played the majority of his games this year in the AHL (19) compared to the NHL (9). Knyzhov’s recent $1.25MM AAV contract extension was a show of faith from the organization to him, and these last few NHL games could help inform how the organization sees him heading into next year’s training camp.
As for Robins, this recall puts him in a position to play his first NHL game. The 21-year-old native of London, England was a second-round selection by the Sharks on the back of an impressive 2019-20 campaign for the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL. Robins scored 33 goals and 73 points in 62 games, and then scored 23 points in the WHL’s shortened 2020-21 season.
Last year, Robins had another strong campaign for the Blades, and showed himself to be ready for the rigors of pro hockey. Robins’ 17 goals and 38 points for the Barracuda this season is a solid showing for a young AHL rookie, and he ranks fifth on his team in scoring.
With the Sharks currently in the midst of a rebuild and looking for players who can be part of their next competitive core, this recall could allow Robins to play in his first NHL game and enter the offseason with a clearer picture and firsthand understanding of what it takes to become a full-time NHLer.
Seattle Kraken Recall Joey Daccord On Emergency Basis
The Seattle Kraken have recalled goaltender Joey Daccord from their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The recall is on an emergency basis, and is in advance of the team’s Monday contest against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena.
The 26-year-old has spent most of this season as Coachella Valley’s number-one netminder, and has had an impressive year. He’s backstopped one of the AHL’s best teams and posted a 26-7-3 record with a .918 save percentage. He last played in the NHL in a March 23rd shootout loss to the Nashville Predators, a game where he saved 23 of 24 shots.
Daccord has played three games total in the NHL this season, and has a 2-0-1 record and a .903 save percentage. Daccord’s .903 mark is quite a bit higher than the save percentages of Seattle’s two main goalies, Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer, who have posted .887 and .893 marks, respectively.
A 2015 Ottawa Senators seventh-round pick, Daccord played three NCAA seasons at Arizona State University (the program that now shares Mullett Arena with the Coyotes) and he signed his entry-level deal after a strong final season, where he posted a .926 save percentage in 35 games. Daccord split 2019-20 between the AHL and ECHL levels before spending 2020-21 largely as a taxi squad netminder.
The following year Daccord was the Kraken’s selection from Ottawa in the Expansion Draft and spent most of the year with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers as the organization’s number-three goalie, posting a .925 save percentage in the AHL and earning five NHL games.
Daccord is operating on a one-year, league-minimum deal that affords him the chance of being an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer. He’s just one year from unrestricted free agency too, meaning any NHL starts he gets will be of major importance for putting himself on the right foot to enter offseason negotiations.
With the Kraken preparing for the franchise’s first-ever foray into the Stanley Cup playoffs, this recall gives head coach Dave Hakstol the chance to rest one of his two main netminders in order to put Seattle in the best position possible for a playoff series where they’ll likely be the underdog.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Alex Laferriere
The Los Angeles Kings have signed prospect forward Alex Laferriere to a three-year entry-level contract, per a team announcement. The former Harvard star is currently playing with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an amateur tryout agreement, and recently tallied his first professional goal.
The 21-year-old’s contract carries an $875k average annual value for its three-year runtime and will expire in the summer of 2025. Laferriere earns this deal after an exceptional collegiate career, one where he scored a total of 73 points in 69 games.
While Laferriere’s 2022-23 season saw him score at a higher rate (42 points in 34 games compared to 31 points in 35 games as a freshman) it was his freshman year that saw him fill his trophy cabinet. The 2020 third-round pick won the ECAC title and landed the individual honors of conference Rookie of the Year and Third-Team All-Star.
Now playing on the first line of the Kings’ AHL affiliate next to T.J. Tynan and Lias Andersson, Laferriere will look to help the Reign go on a deep run in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
While it’s unknown whether the plan is to give Laferriere a chance in one of the Kings’ remaining games, the signing of this entry-level deal at least gives the Kings the option to call him up if they so desire. If anything, the main benefit to Laferriere is less the possibility of getting an NHL game or two, and more the fact that he’ll be eligible to hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2025, despite spending most of the season playing college hockey.
Montreal Canadiens Loan Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Three Others To AHL
The Montreal Canadiens have loaned four players to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, following yesterday’s 7-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs: Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Jesse Ylonen, Corey Schueneman, and Cayden Primeau.
Schueneman and Primeau were each recalled yesterday, and the former skated just over 10 minutes in the Canadiens’ contest yesterday.
The 27-year-old undrafted Western Michigan product has scored 21 points in 59 AHL games this season and is one of the Rocket’s most important defenders.
Primeau, 23, backed up Sam Montembeault yesterday and has spent most of the season as Laval’s number-one netminder. He’s posted a .905 save percentage in 38 games and is hoping to lead the Rocket back to the Calder Cup playoffs, a tournament they made a deep run in last season.
The two more significant names to be sent down, though, are Ylonen and Harvey-Pinard since they have each made their mark on the Canadiens’ NHL roster this season. Both players received NHL opportunities due to the significant injury issues that sprang up in Montreal, and both players have shown well in that opportunity.
Harvey-Pinard especially has made a name for himself, scoring 14 goals in 34 games, including a hat trick at the Bell Center. He’s a 2019 seventh-round pick who went undrafted in two straight years before hearing his name called by his boyhood club. Harvey-Pinard’s emergence as an NHL option comes after spending parts of the last three seasons in Laval, including last year where he led them in scoring with 56 points in 69 games.
While it might come as a surprise to many Canadiens fans to see Harvey-Pinard sent down after such a hot start to his NHL career, the circumstances Laval currently finds themselves in can serve as an explanation. The Rocket are just a point ahead of the Cleveland Monsters for the Northeast Division’s final playoff spot, and the Monsters have a game in hand.
Laval has a crucial game against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins today, and perhaps the Canadiens organization deems allowing these players to play an important role in meaningful, late-season games to be a better developmental path than playing a few more potentially miserable NHL contests (like last night’s game) to finish out a lost Canadiens season.
The same logic applies to Ylonen, a speedy 2018 second-round pick who has scored a healthy 16 points in 37 games during his time in Montreal. The 23-year-old has scored 29 points in 36 games at the AHL level and is in his final year of waiver exemption.
Since the Canadiens are unlikely to entertain the possibility of losing him on waivers next season, this reassignment gives Ylonen possibly one last opportunity to make an impact at the AHL level before beginning his NHL career in earnest in the fall.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minnesota Wild Sign Brock Faber
The Minnesota Wild have put pen to paper with one of their top defensive prospects, inking Brock Faber to a three-year entry-level deal.
According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Faber will travel with the Wild for their road game against the Chicago Blackhawks and “burn” a year of his entry-level contract. He signs this deal after concluding his accomplished three-year collegiate career at the University of Minnesota.
At Minnesota, Faber scored 53 points in 97 total games and captained his team to the NCAA’s National Championship game, which happened last night. While the Gophers lost in dramatic and heartbreaking fashion just seconds into overtime against Quinnipiac University, Faber remains a decorated college player. He is a two-time conference Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 10 and won the conference title as a freshman.
Even before this season, Faber cemented himself as a top prospect with a brilliant 2021-22 campaign that saw him earn a spot on the United States’ team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He also played on Team USA for two World Junior Championships.
Faber is half of the Wild’s compensation package that they received from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for star forward Kevin Fiala, alongside the 2022 first-round pick that became Djurgarden forward Liam Ohgren.
While he might not reach the heights Fiala has as an NHLer, Faber has done everything necessary to give fans confidence that he will become a difference-making blueliner at the NHL level, and perhaps with this entry-level deal in hand, Faber can do that sooner rather than later.
Pittsburgh Penguins Reassign Alex Nylander
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that forward Alex Nylander has been returned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. With Wilkes-Barre Scranton set to play the Laval Rocket today, this reassignment gives the AHL Penguins one of their top scorers back.
Nylander, 25, has this season made himself into an extremely effective AHL scorer. After spending some of the earlier years of his career as an up-and-down player without truly dominant AHL numbers, Nylander’s AHL value has grown as his NHL promise has faded. This year, he has scored 25 goals and 50 points in the AHL, and earned seven NHL games in Pittsburgh.
Nylander has scored two points in that seven-game span, including an important goal yesterday against the Detroit Red Wings, a game the Penguins badly needed to win. Nylander played the bulk of his NHL games this season in a six-game span in March, beginning with a March 7th overtime victory over Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Penguins have gone 4-3 with Nylander on their roster, and he’s helped them at an important time in their season. With AHL Pittsburgh out of the AHL playoffs with three games remaining, this reassignment gives Nylander the chance to put the finishing touches on his successful individual AHL campaign before likely returning to support the Penguins as a reserve player should they reach the Stanley Cup playoffs.