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AHL Shuffle: 11/25/21

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Happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S., though it certainly won’t be much of a celebration for some hockey fans. The NHL has no games scheduled for today, as they defer to the NFL’s all-day coverage. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean front offices are empty today, and like always we’ll keep track of any minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • Adam Ruzicka won’t be attending the Stockton Heat thanksgiving party, as he has been recalled to the Calgary Flames. The team announced that Brad Richardson’s absence from practice is just a maintenance day, but they’ll have the young Ruzicka join them anyway. Now 22, the 2017 fourth-round pick has been dominant in the minor leagues this season, scoring ten goals in 13 games with Stockton.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have loaned Vinni Lettieri back to the San Diego Gulls, after he failed to get into a game on this recall. The 26-year-old forward has played just three games this season for Anaheim, recording two points.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent forwards Paul Cotter, Ben Jones, and Jonas Rondbjerg to the Henderson Silver Knights, per CapFriendly (all Twitter links).  All three have been sent back and forth throughout the season and at least some of them will likely be brought back up over the coming days.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Ivan Lodnia Signs AHL Contract

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Usually, when a player is put on unconditional waivers and their contract terminated, they end up signing overseas to continue their career far away from the NHL. In the case of Ivan Lodnia, something very different has happened. The young forward, who recently saw his deal with the Minnesota Wild terminated, has signed an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves.

This is still a step up for the 22-year-old forward, as the Wild had assigned him to the ECHL to start the season. Lodnia refused to report to the Iowa Heartlanders, earning a suspension from the team instead. Now he’ll at least get the chance to play in the AHL, where he can showcase himself for another NHL organization.

Notably, the Wolves are an independent minor league team, meaning that though they are affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes they can also make decisions like this for themselves. The team obviously sees the value in bringing in the 2017 third-round pick, though Lodnia has not shown much at that level to this point. In 2020-21, he was loaned to Dynamo Minsk of the KHL, where he had just one goal and seven points in 27 games. Prior to that, he had played six professional games, failing to record a point.

A solid two-way winger, early in his CHL career Lodnia was stuck behind a very talented Erie Otters forward group but still managed to put up strong production. Still, even once he was traded to Niagara and given more offensive minutes, his scoring never really exploded to a level that would draw a ton of notice from NHL fans. There’s plenty of time for him to figure out how to be a successful pro, given he turned 22 just a few months ago and he’ll now take on that challenge in Chicago.

Nikita Zaitsev Removed From COVID Protocol

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The Ottawa Senators have officially removed Nikita Zaitsev from the COVID protocol, suggesting he is available for the team tonight against the San Jose Sharks. That leaves Drake Batherson as the only Senators player still in the protocol.

This is not the first time that Zaitsev has been cleared, as he came out of the protocol for just a few hours earlier in Ottawa’s battle with COVID. This time though, it seems likely that he’s out of the woods (at least for now) and can rejoin the lineup to help them try and turn things around.

Whether Zaitsev can actually do that is another story, since he’s been poor this season and has watched his ice time slashed to a career low. In fact, he was even made a healthy scratch earlier in the year, meaning even though he is now available, he may not necessarily go directly in for the team. Recently, Ottawa has given an opportunity to 21-year-old Lassi Thomson, who looks ready to help the group on a full-time basis after registering two points in four games. He’s not at all the same kind of defenseman as Zaitsev, but that may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Still, there’s reason for the team to commit to Zaitsev, given he has another two years on his expensive contract. If he can’t get his performance back to an acceptable level, his $4.5MM salary looks mighty expensive for a team that doesn’t have unlimited funds.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads towards the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Boston Bruins.

What are the Bruins most thankful for?

A light early schedule.

Normally, if you said that November was coming to an end and the Bruins were seven points out of a divisional playoff spot, alarm bells would be ringing all across Boston. But with just 15 games played so far–tied for the lowest total in the league–there’s plenty of time to make up that ground. In fact, the Bruins have played five fewer games than the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, two teams ahead of them in the Atlantic standings. Sure, things aren’t going perfect for Boston through the early part of the year with a 9-6 record, but it’s not panic time just yet.

Who are the Bruins most thankful for?

The “Perfection” line.

Despite two of its members being in their mid-thirties, the Bruins’ top line is just as devastating as ever. Brad Marchand is off to an incredible start with 20 points in his first 15 games (a points/game pace that has him fifth in the league), David Pastrnak has 15 points despite shooting at a career-low 7.6%, and Patrice Bergeron continues to be arguably the most effective two-way center in the league. The 36-year-old Bergeron has 13 points in 15 games, has been on the ice for just six goals against at even-strength (compared to 11 for), and has won 62.7% of his faceoffs to this point, easily the highest mark in the league from any full-time center.

Like they have for years now, the top line of the Bruins is carrying the offensive load while they try to figure out the rest of the lineup. While players like Craig Smith and Erik Haula struggle to find the back of the net, Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Marchand are keeping the team in the top half of the league for goals for per game. It’s not going to last forever, but it still is for now.

What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?

Tuukka Rask’s return.

One of the biggest differences in Boston this year is the goaltending tandem, a brand new duo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. Neither one has been exceptional, or even above-average so far, with a flat .908 save percentage for each of them. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s also not what the Bruins have been used to for the last decade-plus. In each of the 12 seasons that Rask played at least 23 games for the team, he posted a save percentage of at least .913. Overall in his career, that number was .921, one of the best in the history of the NHL.

It doesn’t mean Swayman and Ullmark can’t play to a level better than they have so far, but there’s certainly no guarantee that they will. The issue is, there’s also no guarantee that Rask can play up to the level he has in the past, even if he comes back to the team in 2022 at full strength. The veteran netminder has been clear about his desire to play for Boston once he recovers from hip surgery, even skating at their facility lately. If the Bruins have their eyes set on another postseason run, it still seems likely that it will include Rask, at least in some fashion.

What should be on the Bruins’ Holiday Wish List?

A second-line center.

If the change in net was the most noticeable, perhaps the most important was the one at the second-line pivot position. David Krejci’s departure and subsequent return to the Czech Republic left a massive hole in the Bruins lineup, one that to this point has been filled mostly with Charlie Coyle. It’s not that Coyle has played poorly in that role, in fact quite the opposite, he leads all non-first-line Bruins’ forwards in goals and points through the first 15 games. But the team has said many times in the past that they think he is most effective on the wing, and having him there or even on the third line instead would only help to lengthen out what has become a top-heavy group.

By acquiring a legitimate top-six center at some point, it would slot everyone else in the Bruins’ lineup down a peg and make them seem like a much more well-rounded group. It’s not always easy to find that kind of player, but the team does actually have some extra cap space this time around to make an addition at the deadline. In fact, if they don’t make any drastic changes over the next few months, they could have more than $10MM in space to make a big splash. Whether they’ll have the assets to do that is another question, as is whether they’ll be in the right spot standings-wise for it to make sense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Andreas Athanasiou Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Los Angeles Kings will not have Andreas Athanasiou in the lineup when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening, as he has been placed in the COVID protocol.

Athanasiou, 27, only has eight games under his belt this season and after a hot start–he had five points in his first four–has been held scoreless in four straight. Now the Kings will have to find a way to replace him for at least one game.

The team did not confirm whether or not Athanasiou had actually tested positive for coronavirus, but if he did and is experiencing any symptoms he’ll miss a minimum of ten days. The team had been carrying 14 forwards already, so don’t necessarily need to make a recall in time for tonight’s action.

Nathan Bastian Placed On Waivers

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The Seattle Kraken had to make room for Mason Appleton, who has been activated off injured reserve, so Nathan Bastian finds himself on waivers today.

Bastian, 23, was the Kraken’s expansion pick from the New Jersey Devils, but saw very limited time in his games with Seattle. Averaging just over nine minutes of ice time through 12 appearances, he hadn’t even gotten into the lineup since November 9. With Appleton returning, someone on the roster was going to have to be exposed, since none of the Kraken skaters are waiver-exempt.

It will be interesting to see if Bastian clears, given his obvious upside. Though he has just two points this season, he has scored in bunches in the minor leagues, was a high draft pick in 2016 (41st overall), and possesses the size–6’4″–that many teams covet in the bottom-six. He’s more than willing to use that size too, as Bastian recorded 136 hits in just 41 games for the Devils last season and even drops the gloves on occasion.

New Jersey themselves could even bring Bastian back, though they made a move to bring up Chase De Leo recently to fill out the last spot on the roster and have other forwards who will return from injury at some point.

If he isn’t claimed, Bastian could be sent to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

Carter Hutton Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Arizona Coyotes have placed Carter Hutton in the COVID protocol, despite him not even being on the active roster. The injured netminder was nearing a return, but now it appears the decision on which goaltenders to carry with the team won’t have to be made for a little while longer.

Hutton joins Andrew Ladd and Johan Larsson in the protocol, but the team did not confirm whether or not he had tested positive for coronavirus. If he did and is experiencing any symptoms, the netminder will be held out a minimum of ten days.

Without him, the team will continue to go with Karel Vejmelka and Scott Wedgewood, a pair that has actually been relatively good for the team so far. In fact, Wedgewood has a .940 save percentage in his six appearances, winning three times. While Vejmelka has a .905, quite a bit better than Hutton’s early-season showing, he still amazingly has a 1-9-1 record on the year.

The Coyotes will take on the Edmonton Oilers this evening, looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Morning Notes: Harris, Schenn, Forsberg

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The Montreal Canadiens were unable to convince Jordan Harris to turn pro and sign his entry-level contract last offseason, as the 21-year-old instead returned to Northeastern University for his senior season with the Huskies. Serving as captain, he now has ten points in 14 games, and in a piece from Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic, Harris’ coach Jerry Keefe calls him “the best defenseman in the country.”

The piece details how Harris has always shown loyalty to the programs and teams he plays for, but also examines how the young defenseman’s draft rights will expire if not signed by August of 2022. At that point, he could become an unrestricted free agent and sign anywhere in the league, should he decide that Montreal isn’t the best step for his career. It’s obvious that the Canadiens want to bring him into the organization, but there will be a ticking clock from the time his season ends.

  •  The St. Louis Blues are getting a key player back, as Brayden Schenn will make his return to the lineup tonight when they take on the Detroit Red Wings. Schenn has missed nine games with an upper-body injury and will be playing in just his tenth game of the season. In fact, this will be the first time all year that the Blues are icing a fully healthy lineup.
  • Speaking of Central Division reinforcements, the Nashville Predators had Filip Forsberg on the ice today at practice. The injured forward has only played in a single game this month and nine on the season so far. It’s not clear exactly when he’ll be back in the lineup, but the team has remained within striking distance in the meantime, just two points behind the Minnesota Wild for first place in the division.

T.J. Oshie Moved To Injured Reserve

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It certainly hasn’t been an easy season thus far for Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie. According to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, the veteran finds himself back on injured reserve today after returning for only one game.

Oshie was activated on November 20 in time for the Capitals’ game against the San Jose Sharks, but managed just 14 minutes of ice time. He didn’t play in the team’s loss the next night and now finds himself off the roster for the second time this season. Oshie will be eligible to play on Sunday, thanks to a retroactive IR placement, but it’s unclear when he’ll actually be inserted back into the lineup.

In eight games so far this season, he actually has seven points including four goals. The 34-year-old forward just hasn’t been able to stay healthy so far, a concern as he heads into his mid-thirties. Oshie is under contract for three more seasons, meaning the Capitals will have to hope these early injuries are just disappointing coincidences, not a trend.

Still, there was some good news at practice today. Nicklas Backstrom re-joined the group for the first time, skating with a non-contact sweater. He didn’t participate in line drills, but just to have him back with the group is a good sign that he is on his way to a return.

AHL Shuffle: 11/24/21

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With nothing happening tomorrow because of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the schedule is packed full of action tonight across the NHL. Twenty-eight of the 32 will be in action, including as of now, the New York Islanders who are still dealing with a serious COVID outbreak. As they and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • After moving Troy Stecher to injured reserve, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled Dan Renouf from the minor leagues to take his place. Stecher is expected to be out through the Olympic break, meaning there will be quite an opportunity for someone like Renouf to earn some NHL action.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Fredrik Claesson to the AHL, after he played a few games with the club. Claesson failed to score a point in three appearances, though he averaged fewer than 11 minutes of ice time.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Beck Malenstyn and Michael Sgarbossa from the minor leagues, after clearing some room on the roster yesterday. Sgarbossa especially is off to a nice start to the season with 14 points in 15 games with the Hershey Bears.
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Morgan Frost is expected to join the Philadelphia Flyers in Florida, where they face the Panthers tonight. Frost has 15 points in 16 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year, after failing to make the Flyers out of camp.
  • With the New York Islanders still missing a huge number of regulars, Otto Koivula has been recalled from the AHL. To make room for him under the cap ceiling, Ryan Pulock has been moved to long-term injured reserve.

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators have sent Michael McCarron to the AHL, along with Ben Harpur who is going down on a conditioning loan. The pair will likely be in the Milwaukee Admirals lineup for their game against Grand Rapids tonight.

Pacific Division

  • The Calgary Flames have returned Walker Duehr to the minor leagues, ten days after he made his NHL debut. It was actually the young forward’s 24th birthday yesterday, but as a present, he’ll have to report back to the Stockton Heat and continue his season in the AHL.

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