Minnesota Wild Reassign Adam Beckman, Sammy Walker
The Minnesota Wild have sent forwards Adam Beckman and Sammy Walker back to the AHL’s Iowa Wild, according to a team tweet today.
Both Beckman and Walker were called up on December 26 after Marcus Foligno didn’t travel with the team to Winnipeg for the game against the Jets on the 27th. The young players traveled with the team for their last two games of the year. Walker had one goal, and Beckman didn’t get on the scoresheet.
In the AHL, both players are doing considerably well. Beckman has 15 points in 25 games, and Walker has 24 points in 23 games.
Walker especially has been a nice surprise for the Wild after signing as a free agent out of the University of Minnesota. He’s gotten into six contests with the Wild over the course of the year, scoring just the one goal, but has used his speed to draw attention early on in his career. In no time, he’s worked his way up to the top of the organizational depth chart in terms of AHL call-up options.
Canada Adds Owen Beck To 2023 World Juniors Roster
Hockey Canada announced Sunday morning they have added Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck to their roster for the remainder of the 2023 World Junior Championship. He replaces forward Colton Dach, who will miss the team’s playoff games with an injury suffered yesterday against Sweden.
Beck, the 33rd overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, was one of the last cuts from Canada’s original Selection Camp roster for the tournament announced in early December. He’s dominating on both sides of the puck in the OHL this season, potting 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points in 30 games with the Mississauga Steelheads.
The Peterborough, Ontario-born Beck had an impressive training camp with the Canadiens, getting fans excited for a potential draft steal. Still 18 years old, this will be Beck’s debut for Canada’s national team at any level.
It’s the second time in recent memory that Canada has lost a Dach brother to injury. Kirby Dach, who was expected to be one of the most dominant players at the 2021 tournament, was injured in preliminary action and missed much of the following NHL season with Chicago.
His brother Colton remains a Blackhawks prospect after Kirby was traded to Montreal this summer, and he had two assists through four group-stage games for Canada. Hopefully, the captain of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets can resume his final season of junior hockey soon.
Canada’s 3-1-0 record in the group stage got them a second-place finish in Group A. They begin their push for gold tomorrow with a quarterfinal game against Slovakia.
Minor Transactions: 12/30/22
The NHL is getting back into the swing of things as the holiday break wraps up and the calendar turns to 2023. It also means that activity is heating up at minor and junior levels of the sport, especially as some teams keep their eyes locked on the ongoing World Junior Championships. We’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions right here.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned prospect Jordan Frasca to the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers today. He was up in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he’s yet to record a point in three games. Frasca signed with the Penguins as an undrafted free agent earlier this year after a 42-goal, 87-point season with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs last year.
- Arizona Coyotes prospect Manix Landry was dealt in the QMJHL today, with the Gatineau Olympiques dealing him to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2024 QMJHL draft. Landry, Gatineau’s captain, has been injured since the second game of the season.
- NHL veteran defenseman Matt Bartkowski has found a permanent home for the rest of the 2022-23 season. The AHL’s Rochester Americans converted his PTO into a full AHL contract for the remainder of the season today. He’d played 20 games for Rochester this year, where he has five points.
Devante Smith-Pelly Announces Retirement
NHL veteran and Stanley Cup Champion forward Devante Smith-Pelly announced his retirement from hockey today. The 30-year-old announced his choice via Instagram.
Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round in 2010, Smith-Pelly broke into the NHL just two seasons after being drafted. He recorded 13 points in 49 games during his rookie season in 2011-12 with the Ducks.
He spent most of the following two seasons with their AHL affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals, but was called up near the end of 2013-14 for the first of his two clutch playoff performances. Smith-Pelly recorded 10 points in 19 games down the stretch in Anaheim and notched five goals in 12 playoff games as the Ducks fell in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. He scored a last-minute goal in Game 6 of their first-round series against Dallas, tying the game and sending it to overtime, where Anaheim eventually won the series.
Smith-Pelly was a full-time NHLer the next few seasons but bounced around between the Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, and New Jersey Devils before finding a home with the Washington Capitals for 2017-18. It was there where Smith-Pelly achieved his dream of winning the Stanley Cup, equaling his regular-season goal total by scoring seven goals in 24 playoff games for Washington.
His last NHL games came in 2018-19, when he appeared in 54 games for Washington, scoring eight points. He spent the following three seasons playing in the KHL and AHL. In 2021-22, his last season of professional hockey, Smith-Pelly had eight points in 24 games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
PHR wishes the best of luck to Smith-Pelly in his retirement and issues congratulations on a clutch, championship-winning career.
Vegas Golden Knights Recall Sheldon Rempal
The Vegas Golden Knights recalled forward Sheldon Rempal from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights on Friday, according to a team tweet.
Rempal, 27, is in his first season in the Vegas Golden Knights organization. The undrafted free agent out of Clarkson University began his professional career in 2018-19, signing with the Los Angeles Kings and making his NHL debut.
Since then, he’s spent time in the Carolina Hurricanes and Vancouver Canucks organizations, getting into NHL games with each team. He’s suited up 11 times in the NHL across three seasons but is still looking to record his first NHL point.
He’s been a solid minor-league presence after a sophomore slump in 2019-20. He was among the AHL’s leaders in points per game last season when he tallied 33 goals and 36 assists for 69 points in just 55 games with the Abbotsford Canucks. It led to him signing a two-year contract with Vegas this past offseason, receiving a hefty minors salary of $450,000.
Rempal’s pace in Henderson is still respectable but not quite at last season’s level. He has seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in 30 games, which still leads the team.
With four forwards (Jonathan Marchessault, Paul Cotter, Jack Eichel, Brett Howden) out due to injury, Vegas is beginning to reach deeper into their system for scoring depth. Expect Rempal to make his season debut on New Year’s Eve tomorrow while Pavel Dorofeyev sits as the 13th forward.
Injury Notes: Wild, Penguins, Zub
A mixed bag of news is coming out of Minnesota Wild practice this morning. The Star Tribune’s Sarah McLellan reports Joel Eriksson Ek is absent from practice, although injured forwards Brandon Duhaime and Marcus Foligno are skating.
Eriksson Ek has been invaluable to Minnesota, even more so on both sides of the puck this year. He’s on pace for a career year offensively, recording 27 points through 35 contests (tied for third on the team). Duhaime has been very limited this year, playing in just 14 games due to two separate upper-body injuries. On the other hand, Foligno has been out with an undisclosed injury since December 22.
- Injuries continue to hamper Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang this season, who’s already recovered from the second stroke of his NHL career. Head coach Mike Sullivan said today that Letang will not play tonight against the New Jersey Devils with an undisclosed injury and is day-to-day. Additionally, there are no updates for defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, who remains out with an upper-body injury. Forward Ryan Poehling will also be a game-time decision after missing the last 10 days.
- Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub could return to the lineup tomorrow against Detroit, according to TSN 1200. Zub has been out the last 27 days with a jaw injury, and Dillon Heatherington was returned to AHL Belleville today to make room on the roster for his return.
Vancouver Canucks Recall William Lockwood, Reassign Nils Aman
The Vancouver Canucks made a pair of corresponding transactions today, recalling right wing William Lockwood from the Abbotsford Canucks and sending down center Nils Aman.
Lockwood is having a strong season in the minors, notching 12 goals in 24 games with Abbotsford. It’s already a career-high in the AHL for him.
He’s played once in the NHL this season, registering an assist and a +1 rating in a November 15 win against the Buffalo Sabres. He could easily add to that total over the next few days as he battles with players like Sheldon Dries and Jack Studnicka for a spot in the lineup.
Aman had played in all 35 Canucks games up until this point in the season, so it’s surprising to see him sent down without much indication. A 22-year-old free agent signing out of Sweden, Aman impressed in training camp and has a goal and four assists so far in his young NHL career.
He heads to Abbotsford where he’ll get more ice time and a bit more offensive opportunity.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Danny Zhilkin To Entry-Level Contract
The Winnipeg Jets have signed 2022 draft choice Danny Zhilkin to a three-year, entry-level contract. Zhilkin’s agent, Dan Milstein, announced the news Friday morning.
PuckPedia reports Zhilkin’s contract carries an $860,000 cap hit with a $775,000 NHL salary in all three years. The remainder is paid in signing and performance bonuses.
Winnipeg drafted Zhilkin, who just turned 19 earlier this month, with the 77th overall selection in 2022. Viewed by some as a potential late first-round pick at the time, Zhilkin fell to Winnipeg in the third round.
He’s doing well in his third season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, with 25 points in 23 games. He’s a well-rounded offensive talent, but some two-way concerns kept him further down on the draft board.
Snapshots: Hajek, Manninen, Nosek
It’s been a tough stretch for defenseman Libor Hajek with the New York Rangers. After being one of the two rather intriguing prospects acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller trade nearly five years ago, he hasn’t panned out as a regular on Broadway (much like the other acquired prospect, Brett Howden).
Hajek’s now been scratched for a seventh straight game and has been leapfrogged on the depth chart by younger players and AHL veterans alike, notes The New York Post’s Larry Brooks. Head coach Gerard Gallant called out Hajek’s consistency as the reason for his consistent benching. The 24-year-old has a lone goal in 16 appearances this season, playing below 14 minutes per game.
- With injuries beginning to pile up again for the Vegas Golden Knights, some wondered about European free agent signing Sakari Manninen as a potential call-up option for the minors. However, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger said today that Manninen is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and hasn’t played for the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights in nearly a month. The internationally successful Finn has 12 points in 20 games with Henderson this year, his first in North America.
- After missing yesterday’s game, the Boston Bruins said Tomas Nosek‘s absence was more precautionary as he works through “maintenance.” However, the issue may be a bit more severe than that, as he wasn’t a full participant in practice this morning. Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald did note that Nosek skated on his own before practice.
New York Islanders Place Oliver Wahlstrom, Simon Holmstrom On IR
New York Islanders wingers Simon Holmstrom and Oliver Wahlstrom have been moved to injured reserve, according to a team tweet Friday morning. Both are out with lower-body injuries, although Wahlstrom is out indefinitely while Holmstrom is day-to-day.
Wahlstrom’s IR placement, which is retroactive to December 27, is a bit different than anticipated. Newsday’s Andrew Gross reported Wednesday that the team believed Wahlstrom had sustained a head injury in their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins the night before. While Wahlstrom still figures to be out of the lineup long-term, it’s not with the head injury that was reported initially.
Meanwhile, Holmstrom could return at any time, given the shorter-term nature of his injury. His IR placement is retroactive to December 23, so his seven-day minimum stay on injured reserve ends today.
Wahlstrom is putting up respectable numbers this season, especially given his paltry usage of 12:10 per game. His 16 points in 35 games are tied for seventh on the team, and he’s easily within striking distance of his career-high 24 points.
The 21-year-old Holmstrom has played in his first 14 NHL games this season after the team drafted him 23rd overall in 2019. He scored his first NHL goal earlier this month against the Vegas Golden Knights and has two points on the season. If other injured Islanders forwards return to the lineup before he does, he could likely be returned to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders after coming off injured reserve.