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AHL Shuffle: 10/29/21

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Just six games on the docket for this evening as the NHL gets ready for a busy weekend, but tonight’s schedule does include some interesting storylines. The Florida Panthers are back in action with new interim head coach Andrew Brunette behind the bench, while the Chicago Blackhawks try to secure their first win against the other remaining undefeated team, the Carolina Hurricanes. As preparations are made for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling:

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

  • With T.J. Oshie out week to week, the Washington Capitals have recalled Brett Leason from the Hershey Bears. The 22-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut and has just a single goal in five games for the Bears this season. Even worse, reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post watched Nic Dowd go down in pain during morning skate, meaning Leason may be forced into action this evening.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Kasper Bjorkqvist back to the AHL, though this doesn’t necessarily mean that Sidney Crosby–who was with the main group again at practice–will be returning, as the team also expected Jeff Carter back from the COVID protocol at the end of the week.

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Jonas Rondbjerg from the AHL, perhaps giving him another chance at the NHL after making his debut earlier this month. The 22-year-old winger has one goal in two games for the Henderson Silver Knights this season, but failed to score in his one game with Vegas.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Nic Petan from the AHL, moving Matthew Highmore to injured reserve to make room. Petan was a preseason regular in the top-six while Elias Pettersson dealt with his contract negotiation, but found himself sent to the minor leagues when the regular season began. He has two goals in two games for Abbotsford and has routinely shown he can score at a point-per-game at that level.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Mason McTavish Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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When the Anaheim Ducks decided to keep Mason McTavish for the start of the season, it came with the same caveat as any other freshly-drafted player out of the CHL. If they used him for ten games, he would burn the first year of his entry-level contract and become a restricted free agent sooner than if he was sent back to junior. They also couldn’t send him to the AHL, as he’s too young to be eligible for the minor league. That is of course, unless he’s coming off an injury, as he is now. McTavish has been loaned to the San Diego Gulls on a conditioning stint as he recovers from a lower-body injury, he is also no longer listed on the team’s injured reserve.

A normal conditioning loan can last up to 14 days and any games McTavish players in the AHL will not count toward that ten-game threshold for his entry-level contract. In this case, it’s a sly way to get him some additional professional experience while not clicking up his NHL game count. It’s also a good way to get him back on track after being injured earlier this month.

McTavish, the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, had two points in his first three games with the Ducks including his first NHL goal. The 6’1″ forward plays with a physical presence but also has enough skill to contribute at the top of the lineup. Just 18, he spent last season playing in Switzerland when the OHL didn’t hold a season and hasn’t actually suited up for his Peterborough Petes since the 2019-20 season. If he sticks at the NHL level this year, it will have been a very interesting road for McTavish, who has just that one season of CHL hockey under his belt–in which he scored 29 goals and 42 points. The year before that, he was still playing for the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

For at least a little while longer, the Ducks won’t have to make the decision on whether to send him back or not.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Ben Hutton

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The Vegas Golden Knights have added a bit of extra defensive depth, signing Ben Hutton to a one-year contract worth $750K. Hutton had attended the very end of Anaheim Ducks training camp on a PTO, but to this point had not carried an NHL contract. He’ll now join the Golden Knights organization on the league-minimum contract.

Hutton, 28, was an interesting case this offseason in terms of his unrestricted free agency. Despite having 379 NHL games under his belt, including 38 last season between the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, it appeared as though he couldn’t find a job as he only signed his PTO on October 4. He was released from it nine days later and was suddenly an NHL veteran on the outside looking in.

A fifth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2012, Hutton basically skipped the AHL altogether, playing just four games for the Utica Comets at the end of the 2014-15 season after his college career came to an end. He was an NHL regular the following season and hasn’t suited up for a single minor league game since. He even signed a two-year extension with the Canucks in 2016 that carried a cap hit of $2.8MM, pointing toward a long, successful career. While things haven’t gone as smoothly in the years since he’s still a valuable depth option that was surprising to see unsigned.

At last season’s deadline, he was acquired by the Maple Leafs for a fifth-round pick, though he played just four games down the stretch in Toronto. It appears as though he’ll be staying with the Golden Knights in the NHL for the time being, as Daniil Miromanov and Kaedan Korczak have been reassigned to the AHL.

Snapshots: Olympics, Crosby, Paajarvi

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When the Olympic groupings came out for the 2022 Games, many pointed to China as a team that is going to be overwhelmed by the competition. As host country, they are given an automatic bid and placed in a group with the U.S., Canada, and Germany. The first two are obviously favorites for the tournament, while even Germany has players like Leon Draisaitl, Moritz Seider, and Philipp Grubauer, talents that China wouldn’t be able to come close to challenging.

It appears as though the absolute mismatch is being recognized. Tariq Panja of the New York Times reports that there is serious consideration being made to dropping China from the men’s hockey competition altogether. Luc Tardif, president of the IIHF, suggests that Norway could take their place if they do move to take China out of the event.

  • Sidney Crosby is not yet ready to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup, but he’s getting closer. The veteran forward won’t be in the lineup when the team plays this evening, but has practiced in full for three days now and was back in his spot on the top line yesterday. Head coach Mike Sullivan told NHL.com’s Wes Crosby that there are no medical clearances keeping his captain from the lineup, just his own comfort level.
  • Magnus Paajarvi has found a new team, signing with the Malmo Redhawks for the rest of this season. The 30-year-old spent the last two seasons in the KHL after last playing in North America during the 2018-19 campaign. That year, he scored 11 goals and 19 points for the Ottawa Senators, his highest totals since that exciting rookie campaign in Edmonton. Selected 10th overall in 2009, Paajarvi burst onto the NHL scene with 15 goals and 34 points as a teenager in 2010, only to fizzle out almost immediately and struggle in the years to come. He’ll now return to the organization where he played much of his junior career.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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It’s been a month since our last mailbag and plenty has happened across the world of professional hockey. We have had a look at many of the biggest names moved in the offseason and panic has set in among several fan bases. Toronto, Chicago, and Montreal have all seen their leadership questioned, while things in Vegas aren’t going nearly as smoothly in year five of the expansion franchise.

Unfortunately, there is still no clarity on the biggest story of the offseason, as Jack Eichel is still a Buffalo Sabre and still in need of neck surgery. With all that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR Mailbag. If you missed the last one, it was broken into two parts. In the first, our Brian La Rose examined the upcoming Olympics, Philadelphia’s busy offseason, and gave some predictions on a surprise from each division. In the second, there were several New York Rangers questions, a note on Alex Barre-Boulet, and thoughts on some of the young players around the league.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend and answer as many questions as possible.

T.J. Oshie Out Week-To-Week

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The Washington Capitals have lost one of their most reliable forwards, as T.J. Oshie is now listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. As Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic tweets, Oshie blocked a shot against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night, which could have led to the injury though he did finish the game. El-Bashir adds that his sources have indicated that the veteran forward is in a walking boot and on crutches.

Losing Oshie for a chunk of the season would be a huge blow to the Capitals, who use the 34-year-old forward all over the lineup and in different situations. He has four goals and six points in his first seven games after securing his sixth career 20+ goal season in 2020-21. That 22-goal, 43-point campaign came in just 53 games, making it all the more impressive for a player that hasn’t seemed to lose a step as he enters his mid-thirties.

It’s also tough news for the team after they failed to secure the win against Detroit last night, losing in overtime after getting out to a 2-0 lead early in the second period. While the team hasn’t actually lost in regulation yet and technically sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division, they have now dropped three of their seven games in overtime. With the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes right behind them and other Metro teams starting to get healthy, losing Oshie for any length of time is obviously undesirable.

Remi Elie Clears Waivers

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Oct 28: Elie has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the AHL.

Oct 27: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Remi Elie on waivers today, according to Chris Johnston of TSN. Elie started the year on season-opening injured reserve, but his placement on waivers today suggests he’s ready to return to action at the AHL level.

Even though Tampa Bay is without the services of Nikita Kucherov for the next two months, don’t expect Elie to get a chance with the big club. The 26-year-old is really just minor league depth at this point, given he hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since 2018-19 with the Buffalo Sabres. In each of the last two seasons he was exclusively with the Rochester Americans, where he recorded 19 points in 2020-21.

It seems very unlikely that he would be claimed, especially coming off an injury to start the year. He does have a pretty solid minor league guarantee though, as he’ll earn $350K this season even if he fails to spend a single day on the NHL roster. Elie could certainly see some time as an injury call-up, but shouldn’t be expected to be an impact player for the Lightning this season.

Zach Whitecloud Signs Six-Year Extension

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The Vegas Golden Knights have seen enough from Zach Whitecloud to know they want him to stick around. The team has announced a six-year extension for the young defenseman that will keep him under contract through the 2027-28 season. The deal comes with an average annual value of $2.75MM. PuckPedia tweets the full breakdown:

  • 2022-23: $1.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $3.0MM salary
  • 2024-25: $2.75MM salary
  • 2025-26: $2.75MM salary
  • 2026-27: $2.5MM salary
  • 2027-28: $2.5MM salary

He may not be the name that draws the most attention on the Golden Knights roster, but Whitecloud is one of the organization’s biggest success stories. Overlooked for basically his entire career, Whitecloud didn’t play alongside other top prospects in the WHL, suiting up in the Manitoba Junior Hockey league instead where he was even cut multiple times. He wasn’t drafted by any NHL team–or even really considered–and was recruited by just one college program, Bemidji State University.

It’s with the BSU Beavers that he started to gain notoriety, and in 2018 after his sophomore season, he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Golden Knights. He stepped directly into pro hockey and was a dominant performer for the Chicago Wolves, putting up the AHL’s best plus-minus in 2018-19 and then led all defensemen in playoff scoring. The following year he got a taste with the Golden Knights and then played in 20 postseason games with the team. In March 2020, he signed a two-year deal that still paid him just the league minimum.

Now a full-time roster player (when healthy), Whitecloud has rewarded that early faith the Golden Knights showed in him by signing away a good chunk of his career. Six-year contracts don’t often come about for players with just 72 regular season NHL games under their belt, but given his postseason performances and steady development, Vegas obviously believes he can be a long-term piece for them.

Given he’ll turn 25 in November, a six-year deal is buying out four years of unrestricted free agency. It also completely avoids salary arbitration and keeps him in the mix at a reasonable cap number through his prime years. Whitecloud will be in his thirties by the time he hits unrestricted free agency, something that seems a long way off right now.

Max Domi Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are getting a key player back a little ahead of schedule as Max Domi has been activated from injured reserve. Domi was ruled out with a fractured rib and given a two- to four-week timeline on October 18, just ten days ago. The team has also sent Justin Danforth to the AHL to make room on the roster.

Domi will end up missing just four games should he return tomorrow night for the Blue Jackets as expected. It had been quite the start for the 26-year-old forward before he went down to injury, scoring four points in two games despite averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time. He may not be the top-line player that some hoped he could develop into, but he’s an important forward for the Blue Jackets as they continue to try and compete in the Metropolitan Division.

Without him, the team went 2-2 over the past four games but still sits fifth in the Metro despite a 4-2 record. Emil Bemstrom and Dean Kukan remain on injured reserve, but getting Domi back so quickly will obviously be a welcome sight. The lines at practice today, tweeted out by team reporter Jeff Svoboda, indicate that if Domi goes in, he will likely be knocking rookie Yegor Chinakhov out and playing on the second unit with Gustav Nyquist and Cole Sillinger.

Rem Pitlick, Mats Zuccarello Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Minnesota Wild have placed Rem Pitlick and Mats Zuccarello in the league’s COVID-19 protocol, after reports surfaced yesterday suggesting that testing had brought back positive results. The team has recalled Connor Dewar, Kyle Rau and Jon Lizotte from the Iowa Wild to reinforce the NHL lineup.

Minnesota did not indicate whether either Pitlick or Zuccarello have tested positive for coronavirus, and it is important to remember that inclusion in the protocol does not mean that a player has. 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.

The Wild canceled practice yesterday with the test results pending, and now will appear to be without the services of two forwards for tonight’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that the pair will continue to test over the next two days to try and confirm a positive result.

Zuccarello in particular is an extremely important piece for Minnesota, who has averaged more than 18 minutes a night this season and has seven points in six games. The 34-year-old continues to be one of the more effective playmakers in the league, and is coming off a season with 35 points in 42 games.

Pitlick meanwhile made his Wild debut on Tuesday, registering an assist in just over nine minutes of action. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers earlier this month from the Nashville Predators and has shown a strong goal-scoring ability in the minor leagues. A former Minnesota Golden Gopher, he looks like a nice addition for the Wild early on.

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