Detroit Red Wings Sign Antti Tuomisto
Per a team release, the Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Antti Tuomisto to a two-year entry-level contract, beginning in 2023-24. The team did not disclose financial details.
Tuomisto, a 2019 second-round pick of Detroit, signs on with the organization after his first taste of professional hockey last season with Liiga’s TPS Turku. He finished tied for the team lead among points from defensemen with 20, along with former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Teemu Kivihalme.
At 22 years old, Tuomisto does already have some North American experience, and a fruitful one at that. Tuomisto was a member of last year’s University of Denver team that won the national championship, recording a goal and eight assists in 35 games. It was his sophomore campaign at the school.
Tuomisto is a two-way defender with towering size, measuring 6’5″ and 205 pounds. It was a smooth transition to pro hockey for Tuomisto, whose college numbers were somewhat disappointing.
While a solid prospect, the list of players drafted immediately after Tuomisto in 2019 makes the pick seem less appealing in hindsight. Goalies Pyotr Kochetkov and Mads Sogaard, as well as forward Nils Hoglander and top defense prospect Jackson LaCombe, were selected closely after Tuomisto.
It’s unclear whether Tuomisto will join the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins on a tryout for the remainder of the season or wait until fall to make his return to North America.
Injury Notes: Lindgren, Lazar, Foligno
The New York Rangers are beginning to roll after some big-ticket trade deadline additions but still have been without a notable piece to their defense core. That may change this week, as Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters today that he would “bet a lot” on defenseman Ryan Lindgren returning to the lineup on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Lindgren, the normal partner to Adam Fox on the team’s top pair, is widely regarded as the team’s best defensive specialist. The stats back it up, with solid advanced defensive metrics and a team-leading +27 rating. They’ve been without his services for the past three weeks with an upper-body injury, however, forcing depth defender Niko Mikkola into a top-pairing role. He’ll miss his 11th straight game today, but the team is hoping his return this week adds to an already strong stretch of hockey for New York.
- New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein notes that forward Curtis Lazar will be evaluated for an undisclosed injury upon the conclusion of the team’s road trip this week. A deadline day addition, Lazar left yesterday’s loss to the Florida Panthers with the injury and did not return. Lazar had played just three games in New Jersey after missing time due to work visa complications, and he’s still looking for his first point in his new uniform.
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports winger Marcus Foligno will join the Minnesota Wild on their upcoming road trip, signaling a potential return from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of action this week. The news means that Foligno could return to the lineup either Tuesday against New Jersey or Thursday against Philadelphia, a promising development for a Wild team getting hot at the right time. With Marcus Johansson re-emerging as a middle-six force after being acquired from Washington, Foligno could slot back into a more comfortable bottom-six role in his return.
Minor Transactions: 03/19/23
We’re already deep into today’s NHL slate of games, but this weekend has been busy for other teams around the hockey world as European, junior, and college seasons all near a close. We’ll keep a running list of today’s minor transactions here.
- The DEL’s Löwen Frankfurt today announced that multiple players would not be returning to the team next year, including a trio of former NHL-contracted players. Goalie Callum Booth, who played just one game for Frankfurt after a mid-season departure from the Seattle Kraken organization, is one of the three, opening the door for a potential return to the North American ranks on an AHL or ECHL contract next year. Winger Jerry D’Amigo, who played 31 NHL games across two seasons with Toronto and Buffalo, was also released after scoring four goals and 14 points in 38 games. 34-year-old Carson McMillan, who saw NHL action in the early 2010s with the Minnesota Wild, will also not return to Frankfurt next season.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
San Jose Sharks Reassign William Eklund, Recall Andrew Agozzino
The San Jose Sharks have officially sent top prospect William Eklund back to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, recalling forward Andrew Agozzino in his place, per a team tweet today.
The move comes after Eklund skated in eight games this month on his first call-up of the year, recording two goals and an assist. Sending Eklund back to the minors before he plays his 10th game this year will once again defer the start of his entry-level contract to next season, the last time San Jose is eligible to make such a maneuver with him.
Drafted seventh overall in 2021, Eklund’s yet to see extended time in the NHL, but a move to North America this season has proved fruitful after spending 2021-22 in Sweden. In his first season in the AHL with the Barracuda, he’s cemented himself as one of the team’s best players with 17 goals and 41 points in 52 games.
San Jose certainly got the most out of Eklund during his call-up, routinely deploying him over 20 minutes per game. With that sort of production in the minors at age 20, Eklund could very well cement his place on the Sharks full-time next year.
The only player with more points on the Barracuda than Eklund is Agozzino, who gets his first recall to the NHL after signing with the Sharks last offseason. The 32-year-old minor-league veteran has 52 points in 55 games with the Barracuda this year and is nearing 50 games of NHL experience.
Ottawa Senators Recall Dylan Ferguson
The Ottawa Senators recalled goaltender Dylan Ferguson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators on Sunday morning, according to a team announcement. Goaltender Kevin Mandolese was also re-assigned to Belleville.
Belleville is in action today against the Cleveland Monsters, meaning this could be a paper transaction for Mandolese to suit up in the minors and get some game action. Ottawa doesn’t play again until Monday and could opt to reverse the transaction tomorrow morning.
It could also be a performance-based recall for Ferguson, who’s excelled in Belleville since he was acquired via trade from the Toronto Marlies. On an AHL contract at the time, Ferguson was signed to an NHL deal by the Senators at the beginning of the month. Through six games with Ottawa’s affiliate, the 24-year-old has posted a 5-1-0 record and a .935 save percentage.
If Ferguson does appear in a game, it won’t be his NHL debut. Hardcore fans of the Vegas Golden Knights will remember Ferguson, who stepped into action for them during their inaugural season after being recalled from juniors when injuries ravaged their goaltending depth chart.
Ferguson’s only recently graduated to the AHL full-time, appearing in 13 games for AHL Henderson last season and 11 games split between Toronto and Belleville in 2022-23.
Morning Notes: Fantilli, NCAA Men’s Tournament, Benn
If there was any doubt that University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli has solidified his placement as the presumptive second-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, it’s shrunk massively over the past few weeks. Fantilli’s assist last night in Michigan’s Big 10 tournament championship victory gave him 11 points in four games at the tournament, setting the all-time record, as reported by NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
Understandably, he took home Most Outstanding Player honors as well, guiding Michigan to their second consecutive tournament victory over the University of Minnesota. The freshman center enters the national tournament with 61 points in just 33 games this season, and his 1.85 points per game are the highest of any NCAA men’s player since Kyle Connor in 2015-16, also with Michigan.
Among the 2023 draft class, Fantilli’s impressiveness and brilliance have been overshadowed only by Connor Bedard this season. He’ll have one last chance to show what he can do in the college ranks during the national tournament before inevitably turning pro next fall.
More notes from the hockey world this morning:
- The 16 teams that will make up the field for the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament are set, according to ESPN’s John Buccigross. Minnesota, Quinnipiac, Michigan, Denver, Boston University, Harvard, St. Cloud State, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Western Michigan, Cornell, Merrimack, Colgate, and Canisius will all participate in college hockey’s final set of games for 2023. The seeding and first-round matchups will be revealed later this evening after the conclusion of the women’s championships game between Wisconsin and Ohio State.
- With the playoffs just around the corner, a defensive depth piece in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization may be unavailable to them for a while. Jordie Benn was injured in last night’s AHL Toronto Marlies game and did not return, and Marlies head coach Greg Moore offered no postgame update. Benn, 32, has two points in 12 games while playing for the Maple Leafs this season but has fallen down the depth chart quickly after a flurry of trade deadline adds at the position.
Ottawa Senators Expected To Begin Contract Talks With Tyler Kleven
The Ottawa Senators are gearing up to sign one of their top defensive prospects, reports Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun and TSN. Tyler Kleven‘s college season has come to a close, and Garrioch notes that talks between the Senators and his agent, Craig Oster, “will likely begin soon.”
Kleven, 21, is a strong one-on-one defender and has decent zone exit skills, too. However, it’s his offensive game that showed signs of growth throughout three seasons at the University of North Dakota. After notching just two goals and 12 assists in 62 games with the United States National U18 Team during his draft year, Kleven’s offensive totals steadily grew in college. That growth culminated in an eight-goal, 18-point campaign in 35 games in 2022-23.
The 44th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft could join the Senators this year, although it’s unclear whether he would head to NHL Ottawa or AHL Belleville. Garrioch remarks he has “little doubt” that Kleven will want his entry-level contract to start immediately rather than deferring until 2023-24 and joining the Belleville Senators on a tryout for the remainder of 2022-23.
Kleven’s season came to an end last night with a 3-2 overtime loss to St. Cloud State in the NCHC semifinals. He didn’t record a point but registered a +1 rating.
Arvid Henrikson Signs AHL ATO With San Jose
A new prospect in the San Jose Sharks organization has joined their AHL affiliate but isn’t yet on an NHL contract. Defenseman Arvid Henrikson will suit up with the San Jose Barracuda for the rest of the season on an amateur tryout.
Henrikson was drafted quite some time ago, as the 25-year-old was a seventh-round pick in the 2016 draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He’s stayed on the Habs’ reserve list since then, but the hulking defenseman’s signing rights were transferred to the Sharks as part of the three-team Nick Bonino trade at the deadline two weeks ago.
Henrikson’s stint with the Barracuda is likely his last shot at getting an NHL contract, and it’s unlikely he will convert on his ATO if his college career is any indication. While strictly a defensive defenseman, Henrikson still put up next to no offense in four seasons at Lake Superior State University, recording just a goal and eight assists in 132 games.
Regardless, it’s a chance for San Jose to see what they have in Henrikson, who could at least serve as a reliable defensive stopgap in the minors. If he can’t land an AHL or NHL contract with the Barracuda or Sharks as a result of the tryout, though, Henrikson could head back to Europe after spending the last five seasons in North America.
Snapshots: Crosby, Islanders, Coyotes
Pittsburgh Penguins franchise center Sidney Crosby has moved into sole possession of second place on an impressive list — the number of point-per-game seasons in an NHL career. By reaching 82 points on the year last night, he clinched his 18th straight point-per-game season, moving past Gordie Howe, who had 17. With a point-per-game season next year, he’ll tie Wayne Gretzky for the all-time record with 19.
Those scoring pace statistics are the best way to quantify Crosby’s greatness, given the sheer amount of games he missed due to injury in the early 2010s. While those injuries may limit his place on the main all-time statistics lists, his scoring consistency and ability to adapt his game as the team changes around him should never be overlooked. Crosby’s 83 points in 68 games this season lead the Penguins.
Also from around the league today:
- The New York Islanders announced that forwards Casey Cizikas and Josh Bailey are both currently sick with non-COVID illnesses, potentially impacting their availability for tomorrow’s game against San Jose. New York still has the inside track on a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference but still can’t afford to lose many games down the stretch. Health will be a key factor to watch for them, as Cizikas and Bailey are both key veteran presences with experience in important games.
- The Arizona Coyotes assigned forward Bokondji Imama and defenseman Michael Kesselring back to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners today, according to the team. Both have been shuttled up and down frequently since the trade deadline. Expect both players to be recalled back to Arizona tomorrow, as Nick Schmaltz and Josh Brown aren’t expected to be ready for their game against Chicago and remain out with injuries.
East Notes: Capitals, Penguins, Drouin
Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette gave updates today on some of his injured players, noting that defenseman Nick Jensen will be a game-time decision tonight against the St. Louis Blues. He also mentioned that forward Sonny Milano will draw back into the lineup after missing two games with a non-COVID illness.
Jensen has been Washington’s de facto number-one defenseman for much of the season with John Carlson out due to injury, although that title has now been usurped by youngster Rasmus Sandin. The 32-year-old is ailing from an undisclosed injury and also missed three games with an upper-body issue earlier in the month. He has a career-high 24 points in 66 games and recently signed a three-year, $12.15MM extension with Washington.
Milano, a productive early-season pickup for the Caps, is projected to skate on a line with Nicklas Bäckström and Craig Smith in his return.
More notes out of the Eastern Conference today:
- The Pittsburgh Penguins were without their top two right-shot defensemen at practice today, and head coach Mike Sullivan issued updates on both players. Kris Letang had a maintenance day, and Jeff Petry is still being evaluated, leaving last night’s game against the New York Rangers after taking an elbow to the face from winger Tyler Motte. The two veterans are Pittsburgh’s highest-scoring defensemen this season, despite both missing significant time with multiple injuries.
- Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin was held out from practice today after missing a team meeting this morning, according to head coach Martin St. Louis. As a consequence, St. Louis said he may also opt to scratch Drouin for tomorrow’s game against Tampa, his former team. The 27-year-old forward has one goal and 24 assists in 45 games this year.