Canucks Assign Jonathan Lekkerimäki To AHL
Canucks top forward prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki‘s time in North America has begun. The Swedish winger is heading to British Columbia to join AHL Abbotsford for the remainder of the season, GM Patrik Allvin announced Monday.
The 19-year-old has remained in the Swedish professional circuit since the Canucks made him the 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Things didn’t start well for the highly-touted prospect, though. He had an underwhelming performance last season in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, recording just three goals and nine points in 29 regular-season games for Djurgårdens IF, but exploded in the postseason with 15 points in 15 games as they lost the league final (and promotion back to the top-tier Swedish Hockey League) to Modo.
That was enough to convince Vancouver to sign Lekkerimäki to his three-year entry-level contract last summer, putting the team in some control of where he plays. Both sides decided it was best to keep him in Europe, but with Djurgårdens failing to gain promotion, the Canucks wanted to give him a change of scenery and a change to demonstrate what he could do in the top-flight SHL. Thus, he was assigned to Örebro HK, where exploded to finish as the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games. His season there ended early last week after Örebro was defeated by Luleå HF in their eighth-final playoff series. Örebro scored only twice in the three-game series, both coming in Game 1.
The Swedish youngster is already well-decorated internationally. He captured bronze and silver medals with Sweden at the 2022 and 2024 World Junior Championships, respectively. He also won gold at the U18 World Juniors in 2022 and a bronze medal at that season’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. While the Swedes fell to the Americans at this year’s WJC, it was not the fault of Lekkerimäki, who led the tournament with seven goals in seven games and received MVP honors.
Lekkerimäki is expected to return to Sweden at the end of the AHL season and attempt to crack the national team’s roster for the upcoming 2024 World Championship, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports. It may be his last stint back home for a while, as the 5-foot-11 sniper will be under consideration for making Vancouver’s opening night roster in 2024-25.
Coyotes Reassign Cameron Crotty
The Coyotes announced they’ve assigned defenseman Cameron Crotty to AHL Tucson. The move is Arizona’s third of the day after recalling winger Josh Doan and returning John Leonard to the minors. Their active roster is now at 13 forwards and six defensemen, including injured center Barrett Hayton (lower-body, day-to-day).
Crotty spent less than 24 hours on Arizona’s roster. The Coyotes recalled him under emergency conditions ahead of yesterday’s 4-2 loss to the Stars, entering the lineup and making his NHL debut in place of Josh Brown, who was out with an illness. He posted a -1 rating and recorded four shot attempts in 10:03 of ice time.
Returning him to Tucson today could indicate they expect Brown back for their game against the Blue Jackets tomorrow. Crotty is ineligible to stay on the roster as an emergency recall if six healthy defensemen are available.
The 2017 third-round pick has spent most of his professional career after inking his entry-level contract in 2020. The 24-year-old has nine goals, 29 assists and 38 points in 209 career games with Tucson and is producing at a career-best clip with 3-9–12 in 45 appearances this season.
Shortly before his ELC expired last offseason, Crotty inked a one-year, two-way extension ($775K/$90K/$115K) to remain in the desert. He’ll be an RFA with arbitration eligibility this summer if the Yotes issue him a qualifying offer.
Devils Reassign Isaac Poulter
The Devils have assigned goaltender Isaac Poulter to AHL Utica, per a team announcement.
Poulter, 22, had spent the entirety of his brief professional career on minor-league deals with Utica before earning an entry-level deal with the Devils last month. New Jersey has now recalled him twice this season on emergency loans to serve as a backup while injuries affected the Devils’ crease, although this most recent summons was to allow new starter Jake Allen some rest during yesterday’s 4-0 win over the Islanders. With Allen set to return to the gameday roster Tuesday against the Maple Leafs, Poulter’s presence is no longer necessary.
The former All-Star starter with WHL Swift Current has still yet to make his NHL debut. After spending most of 2022-23 two levels down with ECHL Adirondack, he’s pushed his way up to a full-time job with Utica this season and leads the team with 28 appearances, posting a strong 2.55 GAA, .911 SV%, 17-8-1 record, and four shutouts.
Signed to a two-year ELC, Poulter won’t be an RFA until 2025. He is waiver-exempt and will remain so until he passes 60 career NHL games or four NHL-contracted seasons, whichever comes first. His ELC carries an $812.5K cap hit and pays him a $70K salary in the minors this season.
Coyotes Recall Josh Doan
10:48 a.m.: The Coyotes have also assigned Leonard to AHL Tucson, per a team statement. The move brings them to 11 healthy forwards on the active roster without Doan, meaning they can bring him up on an emergency loan and conserve a standard recall.
8:00 a.m.: The Coyotes have recalled winger Josh Doan from AHL Tucson, GM Bill Armstrong told Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports late Sunday night. It’s the first major league callup for the 22-year-old, who Morgan says will make his NHL debut Tuesday against the Blue Jackets.
Arizona has no apparent or suspected absences among their 12 healthy forwards for tomorrow’s game, so this recall is likely a standard one, not an emergency loan. If so, the Yotes have burned their second of four post-trade deadline recalls after papering defenseman Michael Kesselring between leagues on deadline day.
An early second-round pick by the Coyotes in 2021 after going undrafted in 2020, Doan spent the following two seasons at Arizona State University, where he averaged just over a point per game and was awarded the captaincy in his sophomore season. The son of longtime Coyotes captain Shane Doan then inked his entry-level contract in March 2023, joining AHL Tucson on a tryout for the last 14 games of the regular season and their first-round playoff loss to Coachella Valley.
Some viewed the 6’1″ forward as a reach when the Coyotes made him the first overage selection in 2021, but he’s quieted most doubts with a season that should earn him some rookie of the year consideration in the minors. Doan has posted 26 goals and 46 points, leading the Roadrunners in both categories. He is only one of two players to suit up in all 62 games this season, joining defenseman Maksymilian Szuber.
A truly homegrown talent, the Scottsdale-born Doan has only played outside the Phoenix area for two seasons. From 2019 to 2021, he played at the major junior level with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. He’s been a massive part of Tucson’s turnaround this year, as they sit second in the Pacific Division after finishing under .500 in each of the last three seasons.
It’s unclear where Doan will slot into the Yotes’ lineup or how long they plan on keeping him around. A cursory look at their depth chart suggests he may debut in a third-line role alongside Matias Maccelli and Jack McBain, replacing 25-year-old farmhand John Leonard. In a few weeks, though, he’ll play an essential part in helping Tucson win their first playoff series since their Pacific Division semifinal win over San Jose in 2018, which remains the franchise’s only series victory since relocating to Tucson from Springfield in 2016.
Metropolitan Notes: Merzlikins, Gustafsson, Lindgren
Some players on non-playoff teams still have the chance to play meaningful games over the next couple of months by representing their national teams at the 2024 Men’s World Championship in Czechia. One will be Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzļikins, who confirmed to Latvian reporter Ulvis Brože that he’ll represent his country at the tournament. The Riga-born netminder will make his sixth appearance at the tournament, although only his second since joining Columbus in 2019. He’s done quite well at the tournament, posting a .917 SV%, 2.51 GAA, and three shutouts in 27 appearances despite playing behind one of the historically weaker rosters at the tournament. A leg injury stopped him from joining Latvia at last year’s event, which paved the way for Canucks prospect Arturs Silovs to put together a .921 SV%, 2.20 GAA, and 7-3-0 record in 10 games as the squad upset their way to a bronze medal.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Heading to the Big Apple, the Rangers were without defenseman Erik Gustafsson at Monday’s practice due to an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old Swede is listed as day-to-day but has not been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Flyers. He’s provided great value for the Blueshirts on a one-year, $825K deal, crossing the 30-point plateau in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career. The offensive-minded blue-liner has also posted solid possession metrics, boasting a 54.0 CF% at even strength along with a +7.2 expected rating. While averaging 17:15 on the season, he’s been promoted to a top-four role in recent days, with Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba both absent due to lower-body injuries.
- Speaking of Lindgren, the top-pairing fixture is inching toward a return as he took to the ice in a non-contact jersey at today’s practice for the first time since sustaining his injury against the Islanders on March 17, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports. He sustained an apparent severe knee injury after falling awkwardly into the boards during a collision with Isles center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but a return to the ice just over a week later suggests he’s avoided the worst. The Minnesota native has battled through multiple injuries this season, though, influencing some unusually poor possession numbers despite being stapled to number-one defenseman Adam Fox when in the lineup. Averaging 19:13 per game, he’s posted a 47.1 CF% at even strength and a -3.5 expected rating, both serving as the worst numbers since his rookie season. Still, it’s promising he’ll likely have a chance to return to the lineup and regain comfort with his game before the postseason begins.
Panthers Sign Ben Steeves To Entry-Level Deal
March 25: Steeves’ signing is official, per a team release. The team did not disclose financial terms, but confirms it’s a two-year ELC that begins next season.
March 24: The Panthers are expected to sign college free agent forward Ben Steeves to an entry-level contract, according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. He will likely finish the season on a tryout with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
Steeves isn’t new to the Panthers organization, having attended their development camp last offseason. The 21-year-old brother of Maple Leafs forward Alex Steeves spent the last two seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, eclipsing the 20-goal mark each time. The diminutive forward is a pure sniper, having never posted more assists than goals in a single season at any recorded level of play. During his time with the Bulldogs, Steeves led the team in goals by a remarkable margin, serving as one of only two double-digit goal-scorers on the squad each season.
Now set to turn pro, Steeves wraps up his collegiate career with 45 goals, 17 assists, 62 points, and 66 PIMs in 72 games. He was named to the NCHC’s All-Rookie Team last season and was UMD’s nominee for the Hobey Baker Award this year.
At 5-foot-8 and 165 lbs, Steeves has a long road ahead of him to prove he can hang at the professional level before earning an NHL recall. He does help fill out a Panthers forward prospect pool that lacks punch outside of 2021 first-round pick Mackie Samoskevich, but he’ll need to round out his game with Charlotte to earn a qualifying offer when his ELC expires.
Kraken Recall Logan Morrison, Ryan Winterton
The Kraken have recalled forwards Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton from AHL Coachella Valley on emergency loans, per CapFriendly. The emergency designations suggest multiple forwards are questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Ducks.
If Morrison slots into the lineup, it would mark his NHL debut. The 21-year-old center is in his first professional season with Coachella Valley, where he’s done quite well with 15 goals and 40 points in 60 games. It’s an earlier recall than expected for the Guelph, Ontario native, who inked an entry-level contract with Seattle as an undrafted free agent in April 2023.
It was a tough road to the pros for Morrison, who went undrafted in 2020 as a member of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs and was shut out of the 2020-21 campaign entirely when the league canceled its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He responded well, though, rattling off 100 points in 60 games the following year en route to a league championship, also capturing the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for the postseason MVP after he potted 17 goals in 19 playoff games. The 6’0″ pivot also earned OHL First All-Star Team honors last year, recording 40 goals and 94 points in 56 games split between Hamilton and the Ottawa 67’s.
An extremely sportsmanlike player, Morrison has only recorded 2 PIMs through his 60 minor-league contests. He’s benefitting greatly from Coachella Valley’s optimally deep development environment, which boasts nine double-digit goal-scorers this season.
This is the second NHL call-up for the 20-year-old Winterton, who played his first three major league games across a five-day stint in early November 2023. The 2021 third-round pick and longtime teammate of Morrison with Hamilton averaged just 8:12 through his trio of appearances, however, and notched just one shot on goal without getting on the scoresheet. His possession stats were quite poor as well, despite seeing most of his time in the offensive zone, posting a 37.1 CF% at even strength and a -0.5 expected rating.
Things have gone considerably better for Winterton in the minors, where, like Morrison, he’s having a strong first professional season. Once one of major junior hockey’s most prolific players at getting pucks on net, Winterton is tied for second on Coachella Valley in goals with 21 in 55 games. He also leads the squad with a +26 rating.
Golden Knights Recall Jiri Patera, Move Tomas Hertl To LTIR
The Golden Knights recalled goaltender Jiří Patera from AHL Henderson on Sunday, per a team release. He’ll serve as the backup to Logan Thompson to kick off their four-game road trip after Adin Hill sustained an undisclosed injury in the third period of yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets. To open up space for Patera’s $775K cap hit, the team moved center Tomas Hertl to LTIR, per CapFriendly, retroactive to when he underwent knee surgery in February as a member of the Sharks.
Patera, 25, sits firmly in the third spot on Vegas’ goaltending depth chart. He’s been recalled multiple times this season in the wake of injuries to Hill and Thompson, yielding mixed results with a .901 SV%, 1-3-0 record, 3.75 GAA, and -2.5 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. The Prague-born netminder was selected in the sixth round of the Knights’ inaugural 2017 Entry Draft class and inked a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$100K/$145K) to remain in the desert after reaching restricted free agency last offseason.
His play has dropped off slightly in the minors this year, however. After taking over as Henderson’s starter last season with a .911 SV% in 31 games, he’s posted a .902 SV%, 3.04 GAA, and 10-10-4 record in 24 AHL games in 2023-24. He’s still posted the best numbers out of any Silver Knights netminder, however, and is at little risk of losing his starting spot for the time being.
Moving Hertl to LTIR does not affect his timeline or eligibility to return to the lineup. He remains listed as week-to-week but is expected to make his Golden Knights debut before the postseason begins. Placing him on LTIR frees up an additional $6.75MM in relief, increasing their salary pool to $21.25MM.
Bruins Sign Riley Duran To Entry-Level Deal
The Bruins have come to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract with center prospect Riley Duran, per a team release. The contract carries a cap hit of $867.5K and will begin next season. Duran, who completed his junior season at Providence College last weekend, will finish the season on a tryout with the Bruins’ AHL club in the same city.
The 22-year-old Duran was drafted by the Bruins in the sixth round of the 2020 draft and had one season remaining of collegiate eligibility before his exclusive signing rights with Boston expired. The 6-foot-2, 181-lb Massachusetts native was selected straight out of high school and spent his post-draft season playing major junior hockey with USHL Youngstown before kicking things off with Providence in 2021-22.
Duran was relatively consistent through his three seasons with the Friars, although his play dropped off slightly in 2023-24. He recorded 55 points in 102 games with the school, a 0.54 points per game average, but produced only 0.46 per game this season (9-7–16 in 35 GP). He was an unexpectedly important piece of the United States contingent at the 2022 World Junior Championship, where he rattled off 2-3–5 in 5 GP en route to a quarterfinal loss.
His ceiling is that of a two-way, third-line center, but he will need some significant seasoning in the AHL before he’s considered for a recall. He’ll be an RFA when his deal expires in 2026.
Flames Sign Joni Jurmo To Entry-Level Deal
The Flames have signed Finnish defense prospect Joni Jurmo to a two-year, entry-level contract, per a team announcement Sunday. The deal carries an AAV of $850K.
Calgary picked up Jurmo’s signing rights earlier this season, acquiring them as part of the deal that sent Elias Lindholm to the Canucks. As defense prospect Hunter Brzustewicz also signed his ELC earlier this March, both unsigned prospects acquired in the deal are now Flames property through at least 2026.
Jurmo, 21, carries appeal with his 6-foot-5, 209-lb frame. A strong skater for his size, he was a second-round pick of the Canucks in the 2020 draft but has had a rather tumultuous tenure since in various levels of the Finnish system.
However, he has been a mainstay in the pros since the 2021-22 campaign, when he logged 10 points and a +10 rating in 50 games for Jukurit in a strong first showing as a full-timer in the Liiga. He also represented Finland at the delayed World Junior Championships the following summer, recording an assist in seven games en route to a silver medal.
He’s played for three teams in the following two seasons, heading from Jukurit to Ilves over last offseason and being moved again to KooKoo in a midseason trade. He’s held a bottom-pairing role with all three clubs, posting 8-20–28 with a -2 rating in 168 Liiga games since his debut with JYP in the 2020-21 season. He finished his 2023-24 season with five points and a +3 rating in 46 games split between Ilves and KooKoo.
Jurmo will be eligible to suit up for AHL Calgary next season, but if his ELC holds a European Assignment Clause, he may also be loaned back to KooKoo, which holds his Liiga rights through next season. For the Flames, he’ll be an RFA upon expiry in 2026.