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North Notes: Canadiens, Foligno, Hutton, McLeod

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Despite being lauded for his trade deadline moves, Montreal Canadiens general manager finds that his team is struggling, much because of the team’s sudden roster inflexibility. The team has already used up all but one of their post-deadline recalls, bringing up Xavier Ouellet, Alexander Romanov and Paul Byron immediately after making the trades to acquire Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson as well as putting defenseman Victor Mete on waivers (and losing him to Ottawa). Most of these moves were made to accommodate the loss of Mete and the pending additions of Merrill and Gustafsson, both who have to quarantine for seven days before being able to join the team.

Now, with just one recall remaining and quite a few games left to go this season, head coach Dominique Ducharme doesn’t have many options to make roster moves, according to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription required). One significant issue the team could address is the sudden poor play of Eric Staal. Despite scoring the game-winning goal in his debut, Staal has struggled in the seven games he’s played since, scoring no points with just seven shots and boasting a minus-eight plus/minus. However, the team doesn’t have the ability to replace him in the lineup for a game or two with energy-man Jake Evans, who currently is sitting on the taxi squad since they are not ready to use their final recall.

That leaves the team with multiple roster issues for the next few weeks until the team is ready to spend their final recall.

  • Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby writes that Toronto Maple Leafs’ newly acquired Nick Foligno and Ben Hutton will have their seven-day quarantine expire in a couple of days. However, it remains unknown whether either player would join the team for their five-game road trip that starts today due to their quarantine as well as the recent COVID-19 breakout that forced the postponement of three Toronto Marlies’ games. Of course, getting both Foligno and Hutton into the Toronto lineup so both can pick up their system is crucial.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that the Edmonton Oilers have another internal candidate they should consider when it comes to boosting their offense: Ryan McLeod. The 2018 second-round pick has had a great season in the AHL so far with 14 goals and 28 points in 28 games. At $834K and the ability to play center, he could be a valuable chip for the team as the playoffs approach.

East Notes: Granato, Halak, Islanders, Chara

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The Buffalo Sabres seem like a different team since Ralph Krueger was fired and replaced with interim head coach Don Granato. While it was believed that Granato was strictly holding the fort down for the remainder of the season until the team could hire more experienced NHL coach, there are many voices suggesting that the Sabres may have already found their coach of the future in Granato.

In fact, the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington notes that the team has played well under Granato, who has stressed the need for the players to have fun and has already made a positive impression on the play of Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson. He has practiced the team hard since taking over and while his team started at 0-5-1, he has turned the team around since then and has a 5-3-2 record since that point. His style of coaching is quite a bit different than the defense-first style of Krueger and the players seem to be responding to it, suggesting that Buffalo should hold onto what it has.

  • After getting back Tuukka Rask recently, the Boston Bruins could be close to getting back another goaltender shortly as head coach Bruce Cassidy said Sunday that Jaroslav Halak has been skating on his own and could be eligible to return to the team on Monday. Halak was removed from the COVID Protocol list Saturday after having missed two weeks. The 35-year-old has been solid for the Bruins this season in 17 appearances, boasting a 2,44 GAA and a .910 save percentage and should help stabilize the net even more in Boston.
  • New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that the injuries to both Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck are considered to be closer to day-to-day as opposed to week-to-week, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. However, he added that there isn’t a clear timeline for the return of either player. Bailey and Clutterbuck are expected to miss their second-straight game Sunday with a undisclosed injuries. Bailey has six goals and 25 points in 43 games so far this season, while Clutterbuck has three goals, nine points and 147 hits on the team’s fourth line this year.
  • Washington Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara missed his first game of the season Sunday after taking some painful shots off his body Saturday against Philadelphia, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. He is considered day-to-day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/18/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

Central Division

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins added to their roster as they announced they have recalled forward Anthony Angello from the taxi squad. The 25-year-old has two goals and four points in 19 games but hasn’t appeared in a game for the Penguins in more than two weeks. The Penguins have also activated defenseman Mark Friedman off of injured reserve. He has not played in a game since March 4 as he has been recovering from an upper-body injury. UPDATE: The Penguins announced that Angello has been re-assigned to the taxi squad after their game against the Buffalo Sabres Sunday.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled defenseman Mattias Samuelsson from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The team has also assigned forward Steven Fogarty to the taxi squad, while C.J. Smith has been assigned to Rochester. Samuelsson, the team’s 32nd overall pick in 2018, will make his NHL debut Sunday.
  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled top prospect Nolan Foote with the intention of having him make his NHL debut Sunday, according to NHL.com’s Amanda Stein. Foote, acquired in the Blake Coleman trade last season, has six goals and 16 points in 20 games with Binghamton of the AHL this season. The team has also returned Ben Street to the taxi squad, according to the AHL Transactions page.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators made some roster moves as the team announced they have assigned forward Jack Kopacka from the taxi squad to the Belleville Senators. The team has also sent Vitaly Abramov and Cody Goloubef from the taxi squad to Belleville of the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames have made a few roster moves, according to the AHL Transaction page. The team has recalled center Dominik Simon from the taxi squad while assigning forward Justin Kirkland from the taxi squad to the Stockton Heat.
  • Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that the Edmonton Oilers have recalled center Ryan McLeod from the Bakersfield Condors to the team’s taxi squad, suggesting the Oilers might be ready to promote the young center to the NHL squad soon. McLeod has had a breakout season this year with 14 goals and 28 points in 28 games.

West Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled forward Tyler Madden from Ontario of the AHL while sending defenseman Cole Hults down, per the AHL’s transactions page.  Madden has a goal and three assists in 12 games with the Reign in his first professional campaign while Hults, who is also in his rookie pro year, has a goal and four assists in 19 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Four Other Players Placed On Waivers Sunday

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April 12: Mete and Vatanen were both claimed, but the other four players all cleared waivers. They can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 11: While Victor Mete and Sami Vatanen headline the waiver wire Sunday, the last day to put players on the waiver wire before the trade deadline, four other players were also waived, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Among those are Detroit Red Wings defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Alex Biega as well as Nashville’s Josh Healey and Ottawa’s Cody Goloubef.

For DeKeyser and Biega, this is the standard waivers practice as both players have seen the waiver wire earlier this year. While playoff teams may be interested in a veteran like DeKeyser, there is no chance that a team would take a chance on the 31-year-old considering he has a $5MM AAV this year as well as next year. No team will be willing to take on the injury-prone defenseman for a second year. DeKeyser, however, has been healthy this season, playing in 31 games for Detroit with two goals and six points. Biega, on the other hand, has just appeared in four games for the Red Wings this season, but has served mainly as a taxi squad player and emergency replacement player. The 33-year-old has one assist this season.

As for the other two — Healey and Goloubef — both must be placed through waivers after each signed an NHL contract earlier in the day. Healey signed a one-year deal with the Predators, while Goloubef signed an NHL deal with the Ottawa Senators.

Pittsburgh Penguins Discussing Nicolas Deslauriers With Anaheim

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3:48 p.m.: Friedman has backed off his original tweet, now reporting that the two sides are still in discussion about Deslauriers. Nothing is done.

3:24 p.m.: The Pittsburgh Penguins have been rumored to be interested in adding some size to their lineup and it looks like they’ve done just that as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Penguins have acquired winger Nicolas Deslauriers from the Anaheim Ducks. Terms or the trade have not been revealed.

It should be noted that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins removed prospect defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph today from their AHL lineup. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that he is part of the trade, it certainly is a possibility.

The 30-year-old Deslauriers would give the team the needed physicality it is looking for. Well known for his fights against top enforcers, the bruising forward should give the Penguins much-needed grit on the ice. Deslauriers can even put the puck in the net at times as well, posting four goals and eight points in 35 games. He has also racked up 38 penalty minutes, 102 hits and four fights this year.

It’s likely Deslauriers will be useful against players such as Washington’s Tom Wilson, who he has a history with as well as other impact players with the New York Islanders.

Nashville’s Michael McCarron Suspended Two Games For Illegal Check

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron has been suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde. The suspension will cost him $12,068.96.

The incident (video here) happened with just 25 seconds left in the third period of Saturday’s 3-0 loss against Tampa Bay when McCarron nailed Gourde with his shoulder in open ice, sending the forward to his knees. McCarron was given a two-minute penalty and then received a match penalty.

McCarron was playing his first game in almost a month and will not be missed in their lineup. The forward has appeared in just five games for the Predators this year with no points, while averaging under 10 minutes per game.

 

East Notes: Lundqvist, Hischier, Johnston, Devils

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While veteran Henrik Lundqvist was hoping to return to the NHL for the playoffs, the 39-year-old veteran announced via Twitter that those hopes will not be possible. The goaltender, who signed with the Washington Capitals in the offseason only to have to sit out the year after learning that he required open-heart surgery to fix issues with his heart, has been back on the ice for almost a month in hopes of joining Washington. However, he announced that inflammation around his heart requires more time for rest and recovery.

“Last week’s checkup showed some inflammation around the heart that now requires a few months more of rest and steady recovery,” wrote Lundqvist. “While it’s not what I hoped for, I know this is all part of the process of getting back to 100%.”

While a return to the NHL this season seemed highly unlikely, it’s disappointing for Lundqvist, the Capitals and fans who would have loved to see the veteran back on the ice.

  • The New Jersey Devils could be close to getting back their No. 1 center as head coach Lindy Ruff said that Nico Hischier is “very close to playing, he’s closing in on that date,” according to NHL.com’s Amanda Stein. The 22-year-old has struggled staying in the lineup due to injuries. He was forced to sit out for the first month of the season with a leg injury and after appearing in five games, he suffered a facial fracture that required surgery. He practiced with the team Sunday, working with the penalty killing unit and is expected to rejoin the team’s No. 1 power play once he returns.
  • The New York Islanders have placed forward Ross Johnston on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. That will allow the team to recall Oliver Wahlstrom from the taxi squad. The 27-year-old Johnston hasn’t seen too much time with the Islanders this season, appearing in just nine games. He has no points, but has 35 penalty minutes. Wahlstrom will likely have to battle with Leo Komarov for playing time.
  • Chris Ryan of NJ.com reports that the third-round pick sent to the Washington Capitals for Jonas Siegenthaler is technically still conditional. The Devils sent the Arizona Coyotes’ third-round pick to Washington, which was acquired in the Taylor Hall trade. However, there was a condition to the deal in which New Jersey would actually get Arizona’s second-round pick if Hall re-signs with the Coyotes. Of course, that condition is extremely unlikely considering that Hall is now in Buffalo. Unless the Sabres trade him to Arizona and Hall signs an extension with them before the draft, that condition wouldn’t happen. However, in the unlikely circumstances that did happen, the Devils would then opt to send their own third-rounder to Washington for Siegenthaler.

Washington Capitals Trade Jonas Siegenthaler To Devils

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The Washington Capitals traded from their defensive depth, as they announced they have sent Jonas Siegenthaler to the New Jersey Devils for the Arizona Coyotes’ 2021 third-round pick (acquired in the Taylor Hall trade). The move should free up some salary for the team to add a depth piece before the trade deadline.

Last year it looked as if Siegenthaler had won himself a full-time role with the organization as the 23-year-old played 64 games for the Capitals in 2019-20, posting two goals, nine points and a plus-11 rating. However, things had changed under new coach Peter Laviolette, who chose to play veterans over him as the blueliner has seven games this season with no points.

For Washington, the team which is into LTIR and had just $375K in available cap space, this move opens up some extra space as Siegenthaler carried an AAV of $800K, giving the team ample room to bring aboard a cheap veteran for their stretch run before tomorrow’s trade deadline. The team had eight defenseman on their roster, which means they don’t have to replace Siegenthaler on the roster with another defenseman.

For New Jersey, the team brings in a young defenseman to join their rebuild. The team will have to hope that he can fit in somewhere in their lineup, but with the potential of a trade of either Sami Vatanen or Dmitri Kulikov, Siegenthaler is a solid addition. The blueliner also reunites with countryman Nico Hischier as both come from Switzerland and are quite familiar with each other.

 

Minnesota Wild Sign Nick Swaney To One-Year Entry-Level Deal

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The Minnesota Wild announced they have signed collegiate star Nick Swaney to a one-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2021-22 season, with Swaney joining the AHL’s Iowa Wild on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season.

Swaney, 23, was a seventh-round pick in 2017, just a few selections from the end of the draft. An undersized forward, he had done well in the USHL but was barely considered an NHL prospect at that point. Four years later after an excellent college career and he’s earned an NHL deal with his hometown team.

A native of Lakeville, just outside Minneapolis, Swaney went to the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he had 101 points in 134 games, winning two national championships. He was an NCHC First Team All-Star this season after scoring 28 points in 28 games, but UMD wasn’t able to complete the trifecta.

With his college career behind him, Swaney could have waited until August to become an unrestricted free agent. But what better way to start your career than with Minnesota, where he’ll join the AHL and try to continue to prove everyone wrong.

Nashville Predators Sign Josh Healey To One-Year Deal

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The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Josh Healey to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level. The 26-year-old has been playing with an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves.

After a solid four-year career at Ohio State University, signed with the Calgary Flames as an undrafted free agent, playing two years with the Stockton Heat. However, he never received a promotion to the NHL. He became an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season, signing an AHL deal with the Milwaukee Admirals where he has stayed other than the fact that he is now playing with the Wolves since the Admirals shut down for the 2020-21 season, forcing Predators’ prospects to join Chicago.

The defenseman has a goal and an assist in 20 games to go with 36 penalty minutes, which could be a reason for the NHL deal. He has 108 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Predators’ AHL organization. With numerous injuries on defense, Healey might be a good choice to add depth to the organization. On top of that, while Nashville has been winning of late, that doesn’t mean they won’t move a defenseman before the trade deadline and the team might want some depth at that position just in case, hence why the team signed him for the rest of this season.

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