Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Dallas Stars Send Down Mavrik Bourque

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After two days spent with the Dallas Stars, forward Mavrik Bourque will be headed back down to AHL Texas according to a team announcement. Since Bourque was originally recalled to replace the minutes of forward Tyler Seguin, it appears that Seguin will re-enter the lineup tonight for Dallas against the Colorado Avalanche.

Luckily, Bourque made his NHL debut on Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring zero points in almost 11 minutes of ice time. Playing on a line with Jamie Benn and Logan Stankoven, the trio generated a decent amount of offense but ultimately lost the contest to their Central Division foe.

Now returning to the Texas Stars of the AHL, Bourque will be able to help the team that he has spent much of the year with clinch a playoff spot. However, it will not come easy to the team as they line up against the Milwaukee Admirals, who are currently leading the AHL Central Division.

Outside of tonight’s contest, AHL Texas will still have four games remaining to clinch a position in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs and will rely heavily on Bourque’s offensive prowess. Over 66 games this season at the AHL level, Bourque has scored 26 goals and 72 points, sitting atop the league in scoring. After such an impressive season, Bourque has put himself in a position to win both the Les Cunningham Award and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy at seasons end.

Detroit Red Wings Injury Updates

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Earlier, Ansar Khan of MLive issued several injury updates to several players on the Detroit Red Wings. Still having six games remaining in the regular season, the Red Wings control their destiny for the playoffs and will have to do so without a good portion of their depth.

Specifically, Khan notes that forward Michael Rasmussen will not be in the lineup for the team’s game tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres, and will also not be present for the team’s following game against the Washington Capitals. Rasmussen originally went down with an upper-body injury on April 1st and did not play for the team on Friday in a loss to the New York Rangers.

It will be a big subtraction for several reasons, as Rasmussen’s size and athletic ability have allowed Detroit to move him up and down the lineup for much of the year. With this being his most successful season, Rasmussen has scored 13 goals and 33 points over 75 games this year, leading to a four-year, $12.8MM extension with the Red Wings back in February.

On the defensive side of the lineup, Khan also mentioned that defenseman Olli Maatta is questionable for tomorrow’s contest as he is also dealing with an upper-body injury. Playing primarily with offensive defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for much of the year, Maatta’s presence on the back end has been able to hide much of Gostisbehere’s defensive shortcomings.

In his second season in the Winged Wheel, Maatta has scored three goals and 17 points over 66 games, which is right on par with his production from last year. On the puck’s defensive side, Maatta has managed a 93.6 On-Ice Save Percentage in All Situations, a massive testament to his game, given that Detroit is 24th overall in goals against per game.

Lastly, in an update between the pipes, Khan reports that goaltender Ville Husso is close to beginning a rehab assignment with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Husso has been out for nearly two months for Detroit as he works his way back from a lower-body injury.

Before the emergence of Alex Lyon in the crease, Husso started the year as the Red Wings starting option in the net. Although he was a bit streaky to start the year, Husso has put together a 9-5-2 record over 18 starts, carrying a .892 save percentage and a 3.55 goals-against average.

Pacific Notes: Bellemare, Danault, Turcotte, Pospisil

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Close to reaching a milestone of playing in 700 regular season games at the NHL level, it appears that Seattle Kraken forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare does not want to stop there. In an article from Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Bellemare indicated that even if he is unable to reach 700 this season with the Kraken, he would be content with reaching it next year.

In the article, Bellemare was quoted as saying, “So, I feel like it’s more the people that know me and maybe have an idea about my path and the work and everything. But at the end of the day, I’m not planning on retiring, so if it doesn’t happen this year, it will be at another point. And if it takes me 80 more games to pick up whatever’s left it will be what it is“.

Even if Bellemare does not hold the benchmark in high regard, it is quite a testament to his work ethic, as he originally came into the league during the 2014-15 season to the Philadelphia Flyers organization as a free agent. Throughout his 10 years in the league, Bellemare has suited up for the Flyers, Kraken, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning, earning a total of $10.525MM up to this point in his career.

Other Pacific notes:

  • In an update from Eric Stephens of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Kings will be receiving center Phillip Danault back into the lineup this evening. Usually one of the more consistently healthy players in the league, Danault went down with an upper-body injury on March 28th and has missed the last four games for the Kings. Included in the report was an update on injured Los Angeles forward Alex Turcotte, who was spotted back at practice in a non-contact jersey this morning. Compared to Danault, Turcotte has been out much longer for the Kings, as he has not appeared in a contest since March 19th due to an upper-body injury.
  • In the Calgary Flames most recent matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, forward Martin Pospisil delivered a check to Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey, with Pospisil’s elbow appearing to make contact with Morrissey’s chin. Pospisil was ejected based on the play; however, it does not appear that the league will be giving him supplemental discipline (X Link). Earlier this year, Pospisil hit Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn from behind and was suspended for three games by the Department of Player Safety.

Pittsburgh Penguins Reassign Joel Blomqvist, Samuel Poulin

at CDT | by 3 Comments

April 3rd, 8:59 am: The Penguins have re-assigned goaltender Joel Blomqvist to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL after he served as the backup last night against the Devils.

April 2nd: Before the team’s game tonight against the New Jersey Devils, the Pittsburgh Penguins have made a move between the crease, recalling goaltender Joel Blomqvist to the active roster. In a corresponding roster move, the team has returned forward Samuel Poulin to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Given that Alex Nedeljkovic will retain the starting reins for a consecutive game, the Penguins needed to find a replacement for Tristan Jarry as he remains out with an illness. Blomqvist was previously recalled via an emergency loan in early November of this season while Jarry was out, but was unable to play any minutes.

In his first full season in North America, Blomqvist has been more than solid for the WBS Penguins this year. With 40 games played up to this point in the season, Blomqvist has produced a 22-10-6 record, coupled with a .919 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average.

Rising up the ranks as the top goalie prospect in the Penguins’ farm system, Blomqvist could feature into Pittsburgh’s lineup more regularly next season. With two goaltenders within the system headed for unrestricted free agency this summer, the Penguins may look to fill in the holes on the roster internally.

On the opposite side of the transaction, Poulin has been sparingly used at the NHL level once again this season. Registering only 36 games for the WBS Penguins this year, Poulin has scored 13 goals and 27 points overall.

Pacific Notes: Pohlkamp, Mangiapane, Andersson, Fleury

at CDT | by 13 Comments

In an update from Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, San Jose Sharks’ prospect Eric Pohlkamp has entered the transfer portal after only one season at Bemidji State University. The Sharks originally drafted Pohlkamp with the 132nd overall selection of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Despite being a late-round pick, Pohlkamp has turned into something of a diamond in the rough for the Sharks organization. Scoring 11 goals and 24 points in 32 games for Bemidji State this season, Pohlkamp also registered one goal and three points for Team USA en route to a gold medal in this year’s IIHF U20 World Junior Championships.

As for his potential landing spot, Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that Pohlkamp will be deciding between two different options. North Dakota University, who recently had their season ended by the University of Michigan this past weekend, and Denver University, who are about to play Boston University in the Frozen Four, are both vying for Pohlkamp’s services.

Other Pacific notes:

  • In some positive news on the injury front for the Calgary Flames, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet reports that forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Rasmus Andersson returned to practice for the team earlier this morning. Earlier this week, Andersson had originally missed practice due to taking a maintenance day, while Mangiapane has missed the team’s last two games due to an undisclosed injury.
  • For the fourth time this season, defenseman Cale Fleury has been reassigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as the Seattle Kraken announced the transaction earlier today. Unfortunately, Fleury has still not been able to register a game for the Kraken this season but has managed to score six goals and 32 points over 50 games for the Firebirds across the year.

Central Notes: Wood, Snuggerud, Tanev, Makar

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In recent days, reports indicated that Nashville Predators’ prospect, Matthew Wood, would be entering the transfer portal to move on from the University of Connecticut. Having now made his decision, we can independently confirm that Wood is expected to choose the University of Minnesota as his new destination.

Over two years in Connecticut, Wood appeared in a total of 70 games, scoring 27 goals and 62 points overall, leading to his selection as the 15th overall pick of the Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, outside of some personal success, Connecticut has failed to compete with other schools within the Hockey East Conference, likely leading to Wood’s decision to move on.

Moving to Minnesota, Wood will be joining a better program, and arguably joining a stronger Conference too in the Big Ten. This year, the Gophers finished with a 23-11-5 record, losing to Boston University in the Regional Finals of the Frozen Four Tournament.

Other Central notes:

  • Staying at the University of Minnesota, the team will carry a familiar face on the roster next season, with the St. Louis Blues announcing that Jimmy Snuggerud would spend another year with the program. After being selected 23rd overall by the Blues back in the 2022 NHL Draft, Snuggerud has been on the Gophers roster ever since. This past season, Snuggerud was once again one of the best players in the NCAA, scoring 21 goals and 34 points in 39 games.
  • Moving back to the NHL, Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports that Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev was a full participant at practice today making his return imminent. Although Tanev did not miss any time, there was some cause for concern as Tanev left the team’s most recent game against the Seattle Kraken early due to an arm injury. Luckily, now that Tanev was a full participant in today’s practice, he should be able to play in the team’s game tomorrow night against the Edmonton Oilers.
  • In more movement at the NCAA level, Taylor Makar, brother of Colorado Avalanche phenom Cale Makar, will be transferring away from the University of Massachusetts (X Link). Being the 220th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, Taylor has not lived up to the standard set by his brother. In 36 games for Massachusetts this past season, Taylor scored four goals and nine points in total.

Carter Verhaeghe Out Week-To-Week With Injury

at CDT | by 4 Comments

In an unfortunate development coming out of the Florida Panthers organization, the team announced that forward Carter Verhaeghe is considered week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. With only two weeks remaining on the regular season for the Panthers, Verhaeghe may wait until Game 1 of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Having only seven games remaining, Florida will certainly miss Verhaeghe’s services as they look to lock up the top spot in the Atlantic Division, and potentially even the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, given that the team has already locked up a playoff spot, Verhaeghe should be much more valuable to them come postseason play.

Almost immediately upon his arrival to the Panthers organization, Verhaeghe has become one of the most consistent offensive threats on the roster with the same being true this season. Likely playing his last regular season game up to this point, Verhaeghe will finish with 33 goals and 71 points in total.

An integral part of Florida’s run in the Stanley Cup Final last year as evidenced by his four game-winning goals, Verhaeghe has been a top contributor for the Panthers over the last three. Since the start of the 2020-21 Stanley Cup playoffs, Verhaeghe has registered 37 postseason contests in Florida, scoring 15 goals and 32 points overall.

However serious the injury, the Panthers will be hoping that Verhaeghe’s two-week rest will alleviate all issues so that he is ready to go for Game 1. In the meantime, thanks to the organization’s moves at this year’s trade deadline, the depth on the roster should be able to carry the team the rest of the way.

Blue Jackets Recall David Jiricek, Send Down Jake Christiansen

at CDT | by 1 Comment

For the fifth time this season, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled top prospect David Jiricek; this time by way of an emergency loan. In a corresponding roster move earlier in the day, the team has loaned defenseman Jake Christiansen to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

It will be the second time in the last few weeks that Columbus has recalled Jiricek on an emergency loan, with the last coming on March 22nd. Infamously, Jiricek was called up too late for the Blue Jackets away game against the Colorado Avalanche on the 22nd, causing him to miss that game. The next day, Columbus returned Jiricek too late to the Monsters, causing him to miss an entire weekend’s worth of games for no apparent reason.

Nevertheless, Jiricek was still able to suit up in 36 games for the Blue Jackets earlier in the year, scoring one goal and nine points overall. At the AHL level, Jiricek has registered 27 games for Cleveland, scoring seven goals and 17 points.

In his lengthy stretch in Columbus this year, the team used him mostly as a bottom-pairing option, as he averaged under 15 minutes of ice time per night. Even though his production in the NHL has not been up to par compared to his AHL production, there is still every reason to believe that Jiricek has the makings of a legit top-pairing defenseman with enough opportunity.

Christiansen, on the other hand, has been far more productive for the Monsters this season in an established role. In 54 games, Christiansen has scored a solid 13 goals from the blue while also tallying 27 assists, as well.

Newfoundland Growlers Cease Operations

at CDT | by 18 Comments

Before the end of the season, the ECHL Board of Governors announced today that the league has terminated the membership of the Newfoundland Growlers. The league announced that the action would be effective immediately, and that it was due to Newfoundland’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the ECHL bylaws.

For the players, the league announced that any player currently on an ECHL contract will become unrestricted free agents, but no other team on the league may sign more than two former members of the Growlers roster. Furthermore, if there are any players are on AHL/NHL contracts, they will report to that team or have their 2023-24 season concluded.

The downfall of the Growlers began less than a week ago, as reports suggested that Deacon Sports and Entertainment, the majority owner of Newfoundland and the Trois-Rivières Lions, is nearing bankruptcy and owed close to $1MM. The ECHL reportedly gave the ownership group a deadline of April 2nd to sell the two franchises, with only the Lions being saved.

Founded in 2018 as the ECHL affiliate for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, the Growlers experienced a great deal of success in the organizations short lifespan. Winning the Kelly Cup in their inaugural season, Newfoundland made it to two straight Eastern Conference Finals in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season’s, losing to the Florida Everblades in each appearance.

It will mark the fourth time since 2005 that Newfoundland has seen a semi-professional organization either fold or relocate, as the city of St. John’s has fielded three separate AHL clubs over the last two decades. Now, without the Growlers, Newfoundland is back to square one in generating a sustained organization in the Province.

Adam Fantilli May Not Return This Season

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With multiple injuries coming to the top of the 2023 NHL Draft class this season, it appears that Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets may be the only one unable to return this year. In an update from Craig Merz of the NHL, Fantilli’s recovery has been much slower than expected, a reality that could postpone his next matchup until next year.

Fantilli went down with a calf laceration on January 28th, with the original outlook putting him out for about eight weeks. That would have put Fantilli’s return earlier this week on March 25th, a milestone he was unable to hit.

In a quote regarding Fantill’s recovery process, head coach of the Blue Jackets, Pascal Vincent, said, “He’s still working on the recovery. I was really hoping to see him back before the end of the season. We don’t know yet. I still hope, but it’s slower than expected“.

If Fantilli is unable to return for Columbus this season, he will finish the year with 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games for the Blue Jackets. With many draft pundits putting Fantilli as the second-best prospect coming out of the 2023 NHL Draft, Fantilli did not show as much offensive prowess as expected throughout his first season in the NHL.

Nevertheless, there should not be any pessimism surrounding Fantilli’s future health, or his future talent level on the ice. At only 19 years old, the former Hobey Baker Award winner still has plenty of time to become an elite player for the Blue Jackets.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top