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AHL Shuffle: 11/08/21

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It’s a very quiet Monday in the NHL, with just three games on the schedule. That does include the Florida Panthers, however, who are looking to stay perfect in regulation. The Panthers are 10-0-1 on the season, have the best goal differential in the league, and a six-point clearance on second place in the Atlantic Division. It’ll be up to the New York Rangers this evening to try and slow down that fast start. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Andrej Sustr from the minor leagues, who was only sent down a few days ago. Sustr has played in eight games for the Lightning this season, recording one goal.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have officially recalled Alex Lyon from the minor leagues after Antti Raanta left with an injury on Saturday night. Raanta came out to play a puck and collided hard with Ryan Lomberg, but there has not yet been any confirmation on how long the goaltender will be out.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, and he’s expected to make his NHL debut this evening. Coincidentally, it will come against the Buffalo Sabres, the team that claimed him and then put him back on waivers earlier this season.
  • After he cleared waivers, the New Jersey Devils have assigned Marian Studenic to the AHL. With him is Frederik Gauthier, who is also headed to the minor leagues after playing eight games for the team this season. Gauthier cleared waivers at the start of the season but was never assigned to the AHL, meaning his clock is almost used up. Should he play in ten games or spend 30 days on the NHL roster, he would need to go through waivers again to be sent down.

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Reese Johnson from the AHL, bringing him back up after a few games in the minor leagues. The 23-year-old has yet to score in six appearances for the Blackhawks this season, and, in fact, is still waiting on his first NHL point overall.
  • With Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar nearing a return, the Colorado Avalanche have sent Sampo Ranta to the AHL. Ranta has played ten games this season but doesn’t have an NHL point just yet.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Mikhail Berdin back to the AHL once again, recalling Kristian Vesalainen in his place. Berdin has now filled in a few times for the team, but still hasn’t actually appeared in a game. The 23-year-old has an .893 save percentage in six games at the AHL level this season.

Pacific Division

  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Artemi Kniazev, Joel Kellman, and Sasha Chmelevski from the AHL, giving them some extra bodies to work with. The Sharks are heading on a five-game road trip and won’t be back in San Jose until November 20.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Blackhawks Won’t Hire New Coach Until Offseason

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The Chicago Blackhawks removed Jeremy Colliton from his position as head coach yesterday, meaning they are now dealing with interim hires at the general manager and coaching positions. Kyle Davidson is serving as interim GM after Stan Bowman’s resignation, while Derek King who had been with the Rockford IceHogs is taking over behind the bench for the time being. Today, both men spoke with the media and Davidson explained to reporters including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic that the organization will not hire a new coach until after this season is completed. He believes it will allow for a more thorough search, giving the Blackhawks access to all available candidates.

Davidson will add an assistant to the current coaching staff at some point, though he noted that King will be leaning heavily on Marc Crawford during this transition. Crawford was not let go with the rest of the previous staff.

The Blackhawks have gone through a complete overhaul to hockey leadership over the last few weeks and are now 1-9-2 on the season after another embarrassing loss on Friday night. The team has allowed 47 goals through their first 12 games, second only to the Arizona Coyotes for worst in the league. This comes after an offseason with several blockbuster acquisitions, including Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury. Jones cost the organization a substantial package of future assets and was signed to an eight-year, $76MM contract by Bowman in July.

Davidson noted that he “is not Stan” and that there will likely be philosophical differences in how he runs the team moving forward. He has the support of ownership and full power of the general manager position, even if he is still carrying the interim tag for the time being.

Delaying the coaching search until the offseason means that King will have control of the Blackhawks for the remaining 70 games, his first NHL coaching opportunity. A veteran of more than 800 games as a player, King had been the head coach of the IceHogs since partway through the 2018-19 season, taking over when Colliton was promoted to the NHL job. He had previously been an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies and Owen Sound Attack.

Petr Mrazek Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Toronto Maple Leafs hoped to take a cautious approach to the health of their goaltenders this season, signing Petr Mrazek to help insulate Jack Campbell so that neither one was overworked. Instead, it appears as though Campbell will need to carry the load for the next while. Mrazek has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 4 and is expected to miss approximately four weeks.

Mrazek, 29, suffered a groin injury in his first appearance of the season, stretching to stop a shot at the end of the second period. He didn’t finish that game, and was out for more than two weeks, forcing the Maple Leafs to go with Michael Hutchinson once again as the backup. Mrazek returned on October 30 and recorded his first win for Toronto, only to reaggravate the injury over the last week. It will now likely be December before he appears in his third game of the season, certainly not the situation the team was hoping for when they signed him to a three-year deal this summer.

In fact, for a team like Toronto that is constantly dancing around the salary cap ceiling, Mrazek’s $3.8MM hit was a substantial investment. While Campbell has performed incredibly well in his time as a Maple Leaf, he too has a long injury history and has never played more than 31 games in a single season. The 29-year-old is already up to ten this year, with many more to come while Mrazek recovers.

Instead of Hutchinson this time, the Maple Leafs recalled prospect, Joseph Woll, to serve as the team’s backup last night. Woll had been dealing with an injury of his own last time they needed a netminder, but it’s unclear if he’ll actually make his NHL debut or just sit on the bench while Campbell plays every game. The Maple Leafs do have a back-to-back situation coming up next week, playing the Calgary Flames on Friday and then traveling to Buffalo for Saturday night.

AHL Shuffle: 11/07/21

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Just five games are on tap for this evening, but that will include the final team without a regulation win. After last night’s Arizona Coyotes victory, the Dallas Stars are the only team in the league that hasn’t managed to finish a game in the first 60 minutes, though they have secured two points on four occasions. The Stars will take on the Vancouver Canucks this evening. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling:

Atlantic Division

  • After their latest win, the Florida Panthers have made a swap, sending Chase Priskie to the AHL and recalling Lucas Carlsson. The 24-year-old Carlsson has six points in eight games for the Charlotte Checkers this season, showing once again that he can be a top performer at the minor league level. Since arriving from the Chicago Blackhawks, he has yet to get into a game with the Panthers.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled forwards Joey Anderson and Kirill Semyonov from the Toronto Marlies to give the team some extra bodies. The team has some additional roster flexibility after it was announced today that netminder Petr Mrazek will be placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. Anderson is off to a slow-ish start with the Marlies with just four points in nine games, but Semyonov is impressing with a goal and eight assists in his first season of North American hockey.
  • According to a team tweet, the Detroit Red Wings assigned center Joe Veleno to the Grand Rapids Griffins in order to make room for defenseman Gustav Lindstrom, who the team activated from injured reserve. Veleno had two points in four games during his call-up, looking impressive in a top-six role.

Metropolitan Division

  • After the team activated Ryan Reaves for last night’s game, the New York Rangers have officially sent Greg McKegg back to the AHL. The 29-year-old McKegg has played in eight games this season but has been held scoreless. He cleared waivers before the season began, but was still eligible to be sent down without having to clear again.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes recalled netminder Alex Lyon from the Chicago Wolves today, according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Goalie Antti Raanta left Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers after colliding with forward Ryan Lomberg.
  • Defenseman Nick Seeler was loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by the Philadelphia Flyers today, per the team. The move leaves Philadelphia with only six defensemen on the active roster, meaning that Ryan Ellis is likely to return to the lineup Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • The Washington Capitals recalled forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby from the Hershey Bears Sunday. Jonsson-Fjallby found himself in the news prior to the season’s start after being claimed by the Buffalo Sabres on waivers but was reclaimed by Washington less than a week after the fact. Jonsson-Fjallby could make his NHL debut after posting seven points in nine games with Hershey to start the year.

Central Division

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Krug Placed In COVID Protocol; Schenn Returns To St. Louis

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The St. Louis Blues will be without the services of another important player, announcing that Torey Krug has been placed in the COVID protocol. The team has recalled Calle Rosen from the AHL, moving Dakota Joshua down in his place. Not only is Krug is unavailable for the time being, but so is Brayden Schenn, who is dealing with an upper-body injury and has returned to St. Louis for further evaluation.

It’s not all bad news for the Blues, who also are getting Ryan O’Reilly back after his own COVID quarantine. General manager Doug Armstrong explained that O’Reilly has rejoined the team on the road trip and is expected to be ready to play on Sunday. The captain’s return comes at the perfect time as the team deals with both injuries and COVID-related absences.

In fact, the Blues could be in a very tricky situation if anyone else is ruled out. Armstrong told reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic that given they have just 21 players now and could have to play short. St. Louis doesn’t have the cap space to recall anyone else, given they were already using almost all of the flexibility created by placing Oskar Sundqvist on injured reserve. If they do have to play short at any point, the team would be able to make an emergency recall afterward to bring up a player without his cap hit. That would only be until the injured players are ready to return, but would at least keep them from icing a shortened roster.

Losing Krug and Schenn at the same though is a brutal hit for the team given how important they are. Krug averages nearly 21 minutes of ice time and has eight points in his first nine games, while Schenn had been carrying a big part of the load at center with O’Reilly out. The 30-year-old forward’s six points in nine games trails several others, but he is still a huge part of their game plan at both ends of the rink.

Austin Watson Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Ottawa Senators have announced that forward Austin Watson has been placed in the COVID protocol. Watson played last night against the Vegas Golden Knights, but will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time.

As a reminder, inclusion in the protocol does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.

Watson only made his season debut a few days ago after returning from an ankle injury he suffered in the preseason. At the time, his head coach D.J. Smith noted how important his intensity and leadership is to the group, noting that they could use his help on the penalty kill as well. Just two games later and he’s out of the lineup again, at least until he is removed from the protocol.

The Senators play again tomorrow, but unfortunately, that game is in the afternoon. It seems unlikely at this point that Watson will be able to go, though because of the lack of details it is unclear at this point.

AHL Reveals Coachella Valley Firebirds

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The Seattle Kraken will have a primary AHL affiliate next season and today the name, logo, and colors of that franchise have been revealed. In 2022-23 the Coachella Valley Firebirds will take flight, wearing uniforms of “flaming red and orange, with an ice blue accent.” Tim Leiweke, CEO of the Oak View Group, which will be part owners of the new AHL franchise, released this statement:

Over the last two years, and after listening to fans, our leadership, and partners, we’ve been heavily involved in identifying the best team name and brand to represent the nine cities of the Coachella Valley. As a proud resident of the valley, I think the Firebirds has a meaningful representation for the beauty and what people experience when they come to our great community.

The team will play out of a new arena in Riverside County that will house more than 11,000 seats and includes a brand new training facility for the minor league club. It is set to open in 2022, when the Firebirds will start play. The Kraken will at that point have an affiliate to drop prospects and oversee their development, instead of the current split agreement with the Charlotte Checkers.

Charlotte, which is an independent minor league club, are currently the affiliate of both the Kraken and the Florida Panthers. Seattle is providing just a handful of players to the AHL club (along with a coach) as they continue to build out their organizational depth. Next year, it’ll be the Firebirds they’re dealing with, not only closer geographically but also operated by the same organization.

Mikhail Sergachev Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has announced a two-game suspension for Tampa Bay Lightning Mikhail Sergachev following his hit on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner last night. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that Marner’s head is the main point of contact on this hit. Sergachev’s shoulder and back make substantial contact with Marner’s jaw, as the head takes the brunt of the force of the check. It is also important to note that the head contact on this play is avoidable. While Marner is bent slightly and being slowed by the hook, he does not change the position of his head or body just prior to, or simultaneous with the check, in a way that significantly contributes to the head being the main point of contact.

If he wants to deliver this hit, Sergachev must stay low and take an angle of approach that hits through Marner’s shoulder and core, rather than one that makes the head the main point of contact. 

The league admitted that though Sergachev has been fined in the past, they deemed him to have no relevant history. The Tampa Bay defenseman’s fine was for a dangerous cross-check in 2019. Marner also did not suffer a serious injury on the play and did not even leave the game. Marner explained after the game that Sergachev apologized to him in the second period.

Coming off the overtime loss to the Maple Leafs, the Lightning will be without Sergachev for their afternoon tilt tomorrow in Ottawa and Tuesday’s game against the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes.

San Jose Sharks Loan William Eklund To SHL

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The San Jose Sharks gave William Eklund a taste of the NHL, but the young forward will have to wait for his next chance. The Sharks have loaned Eklund back to Djurgardens IF of the SHL. Had Eklund played one more game with the Sharks this season, he would have burned the first year of his entry-level contract. As it stands, the deal will slide forward a year and not expire until 2025. GM Doug Wilson explained the move:

This was one of the toughest decisions we have had to make. William’s tremendous skill and vision have been evident since his participation in our rookie tournament in September. In his nine NHL games as a teenager, he has shown that he is going to be a special player in this league but ultimately, we feel it is in the best interest of his long-term development to return to Sweden and continue to work on becoming the dominant player we know he can be.

Eklund, 18, is technically eligible to be assigned to the AHL as well but holds a European Assignment Clause in his contract that could force his way back to Europe if the Sharks attempted that. Instead, the seventh-overall pick will continue his development in Sweden where he had 23 points in 40 games for Djurgadens last season. This is also huge news for his country’s World Junior team, who will presumably have the reigning SHL Rookie of the Year/Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year in the lineup when the tournament begins in December.

The Sharks were happy to hand regular minutes to Eklund, who averaged over 14 minutes of ice time in those first nine games. He managed four assists in that time but failed to score his first NHL goal, despite some dangerous opportunities. The young forward certainly won’t have a problem registering that goal when he finally returns, as his offensive upside is clearly tremendous. A year of development playing in a professional league in Sweden should only help his development, and give the Sharks a more polished product to insert into the lineup next season should they choose to do so.

For San Jose, the key decision here is his contract status. It appears as though they may be more competitive this year, but challenging for the Stanley Cup will be difficult. If Eklund wasn’t going to play a key role all year, wasting a year of his entry-level deal would be a mistake in a cap-constrained league in which inexpensive deals are king. If he returns full-time next season at an even higher level, the team will be able to squeeze more surplus value out of a cap hit that will still be lower than $1MM.

AHL Shuffle: 11/05/21

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Five more games hit the NHL schedule this evening, including a matchup of the two highest cap hits in the league. Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin will do battle for the first time since New Year’s Eve 2019. That game Panarin outscored McDavid 4-1, but the Oilers got the better of the Rangers overall, winning 7-5 on the back of a James Neal hat trick. As those teams and others prepare for this evening, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Gabriel Dumont to the AHL,  where he could potentially play for the Syracuse Crunch this evening. The Lightning have the day off but the Crunch take on the Utica Comets, and getting back a top player like Dumont would only help their chances. The 31-year-old has five points in seven games so far this season for Syracuse. After Mikhail Sergachev received his two-game suspension, the Lightning have also recalled Fredrik Claesson.

Metropolitan Division

  • After placing Anthony Mantha on injured reserve, the Washington Capitals have recalled Aliaksei Protas once again. The 20-year-old forward has four points in six games for the Hershey Bears and made his NHL debut earlier this season.

Central Division

  • The Colorado Avalanche have assigned Jacob MacDonald back to the AHL, as Devon Toews prepares to make his return tomorrow night. The 27-year-old Toews has yet to play this season but would be a huge boost to Colorado’s blueline, especially as they deal with an injury to Cale Makar.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Ben McCartney from the AHL, moving Ivan Prosvetov down at the same time. With Scott Wedgewood claimed off waivers, the Coyotes are able to give Prosvetov some more time in the minor leagues. McCartney meanwhile is getting a promotion after his strong start to the season, in which he’s scored four goals and five points in four games.

Pacific Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Vladimir Tkachev and Alex Turcotte back to the AHL, so the top prospect’s debut will have to wait. As expected, Kale Clague and Austin Strand are back to give the team healthy defensive options, but the Kings have also recalled T.J. Tynan after his blistering start to the season. In eight games for the Ontario Reign, Tynan has scored 13 points. Not bad for the reigning AHL MVP.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Lukas Dostal to serve as the backup to Anthony Stolarz tonight with John Gibson sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.  Dostal has a save percentage of .881 in two games with AHL San Diego this season.  Meanwhile, defenseman Simon Benoit was also sent to the Gulls.  He has a goal in four games this season while averaging 14:31 per game.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

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