Injury Notes: Benning, Maple Leafs, Heiskanen
The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Matt Benning from his conditioning stint with the Bakersfield Condors. Benning hasn’t played in the NHL since the beginning of December, after suffering two head injuries in short succession. He played three games in the AHL on his conditioning stint, scoring one point.
Benning’s return to full health would be a very interesting addition for the Oilers, who have come to rely heavily on some of their other young defenders in his absence. The 25-year old had played in more than 200 games for the team over the last several years and will give the team even more options to consider as the trade deadline approaches. Technically Benning is still on long-term injured reserve, though the team does have the roster room to activate him if they choose.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are also getting some injured bodies back, activating Jake Muzzin and Trevor Moore from injured reserve today. The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight and are expected to keep young defenseman Rasmus Sandin in the lineup even with Muzzin returning, meaning the first year of his entry-level contract will kick in.
- Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is expected to return tonight after missing the team’s last game with a concussion. Heiskanen suffered the injury on January 16th, but with the bye week and All-Star break will apparently only be out a single game. In 47 games during his sophomore season Heiskanen has 24 points and is averaging more than 24 minutes a night for the Stars.
Colton Parayko Activated From Injured Reserve
After nearly a month out of the lineup, Colton Parayko is ready to make his return to the St. Louis Blues. The star defenseman has missed seven games due to an upper-body injury, but was activated from injured reserve today. Parayko is expected to play tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.
The extremely durable Parayko had only missed six games through the first four seasons of his career, suiting up nearly every night for the Blues while logging big minutes in all situations. The 26-year old returns to a club fighting to stay ahead of the Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. St. Louis sits six points ahead of the pushing Avalanche, but lost a head-to-head matchup in the final game before their bye week. The Blues now start a four-game road trip through western Canada made up of two back-to-back situations.
Getting Parayko back is huge for the Blues, who are trying to repeat as Stanley Cup champions and still look like the favorite to come out of the west. The team cleared some roster room by sending Troy Brouwer to the minor leagues and are also expected to get Sammy Blais back soon.
Snapshots: Penguins, Hockey Canada, AHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been actively looking for an upgrade at forward since Jake Guentzel was ruled out for the rest of the season, and GM Jim Rutherford told Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required) that he is open to anything, including pure rentals that will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the year.
One thing Rutherford explained however is that he is happy with Pittsburgh’s defensive group and will likely not be pursuing an upgrade on the back end. The team will get Brian Dumoulin back at some point, who hasn’t played since November after ankle surgery.
- Hockey Canada has named their management groups for the various junior age groups, while also announcing that Andre Tourigny will coach the u20 World Junior squad. Tourigny was an assistant coach with the team that recently won gold at the annual tournament, and serves as head coach of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. A former NHL assistant with the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators, he has plenty of experience at the international level.
- David Andrews will retire from his position as AHL President and CEO in a few months, but held a press conference today to discuss the state of the league. Patrick Williams of NHL.com tweeted out several of the biggest news items, including the fact that the Vegas Golden Knights are interested in buying an AHL franchise. The Golden Knights are currently affiliated with the Chicago Wolves. Palm Springs is set to become the 32nd franchise in the AHL when they begin play in the 2021-22 season as the affiliate for the Seattle NHL expansion.
Eric Robinson Signs Two-Year Extension
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Eric Robinson to a two-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2021-22 season. The forward was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year. Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a short statement:
Eric is an exciting young player that has gotten better and better over the past two seasons. He is a tremendous young man, has game-breaking speed and we believe will be a very good player for us as he continues to work hard and improve his game.
CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $975K. Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent at its conclusion.
Though he was technically scheduled for RFA status, Robinson actually had a chance at becoming a Group VI UFA this summer had he not played in 35 of the team’s final games this season. That means he’s giving up a chance to pursue other opportunities, but after finding a home with the Blue Jackets it’s hard to blame him.
The blazing fast forward, affectionately called “Wheels” in the announcement on Twitter, has five goals and nine points through 31 games for Columbus this season. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton University in 2018, he has 45 career games in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets still have quite a few restricted free agents to sign before next season, including Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Anderson, Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins.
Minor Transactions: 01/27/20
The All-Star break is over and NHL teams have less than a month to figure out exactly what they want to do at the trade deadline. These first few games after vacation are extremely important for getting back on the right track, and 12 teams will try to do just that this evening. That includes a battle between the two Western Conference division leaders, as the St. Louis Blues head to Vancouver to take on the Canucks. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled both Luke Schenn and Mitchell Stephens from the minor leagues as they prepare for action tonight against the Dallas Stars. Stephens has played 20 games for Tampa Bay in this his rookie season, scoring four points.
- As expected, Blake Lizotte has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings after getting a little taste of the minor leagues over the break. The 22-year old forward had previously spent the entire season with the Kings, scoring four goals and 15 points in 45 games.
- Adin Hill has been recalled by the Arizona Coyotes, after losing a weekend affair to the Bakersfield Condors. Hill has a .911 save percentage in 14 appearances for the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, but a .920 in nine games with the Coyotes.
- The Anaheim Ducks have officially recalled Chase De Leo, Max Jones and Troy Terry from the AHL. To make room, Blake Pietila has been reassigned to the San Diego Gulls. Terry is making his return to the NHL after suffering a broken leg earlier this season.
AHL All-Star Game Makes Several Roster Changes
Sunday: More changes are being made, even on the morning of the event. Toronto Marlies teamates Timothy Liljegren and Jeremy Bracco have been added to the North Division squad, the AHL announced. The duo will replace Bellevile Senators forward Drake Batherson, who was recalled by Ottawa, and Utica Comets forward Reid Boucher, who is unavailable due to an injury suffered this weekend.
Saturday: The AHL announced another change to the AHL All-Star roster as Belleville Senators forward Alex Formenton will replace teammate Josh Norris for the North Division.
Wednesday: The league has made another adjustment, selecting Cameron Gaunce from the Syracuse Crunch to replace Lawrence Pilut of the Rochester Americans. Pilut’s absence likely means he’ll be re-joining the Buffalo Sabres after the break.
Tuesday: The AHL All-Star Game is also just around the corner, but thanks to some midseason call-ups the rosters will have to change. Today the minor league announced five swaps for their upcoming event in Ontario, California. Vinni Lettieri (Hartford), Josh Norris (Belleville), Adam Clendening (Cleveland), Alex Nedeljkovic (Charlotte) and Vitek Vanacek (Hershey) have all been added to the game, while Nathan Gerbe (Cleveland), Michael Sgarbossa (Hershey), Rasmus Sandin (Toronto), Chris Driedger (Springfield) and Igor Shesterkin (Hartford) will all no longer be attending.
The full rosters are now as follows:
Atlantic Division:
Andrew Agozzino, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers
Paul Carey, Providence Bruins
Morgan Frost, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Joey Keane, Hartford Wolf Pack
Vinni Lettieri, Hartford Wolf Pack
Matt Moulson, Hershey Bears (Captain)
Alex Nedeljkovic, Charlotte Checkers
Jack Studnicka, Providence Bruins
Owen Tippett, Springfield Thunderbirds
Vitek Vanacek, Hershey Bears
North Division:
Joey Anderson, Binghamton Devils
Rudolfs Balcers, Belleville Senators
Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch
Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators
Reid Boucher, Utica Comets
Adam Clendening, Cleveland Monsters
Charles Hudon, Laval Rocket
Jonas Johansson, Rochester Americans
Kasimir Kaskisuo, Toronto Marlies
Josh Norris, Belleville Senators
Lawrence Pilut, Rochester Americans
Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets
Central Division:
Alexandre Carrier, Milwaukee Admirals
Lucas Elvenes, Chicago Wolves
Matthew Ford, Grand Rapids Griffins (Captain)
Jansen Harkins, Manitoba Moose
Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals
Kevin Lankinen, Rockford IceHogs
Joel L’Esperance, Texas Stars
Gerald Mayhew, Iowa Wild
Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild
Derrick Pouliot, San Antonio Rampage
Chris Terry, Grand Rapids Griffins
Yakov Trenin, Milwaukee Admirals
Pacific Division:
Tyler Benson, Bakersfield Condors
Joachim Blichfeld, San Jose Barracuda
Brayden Burke, Tucson Roadrunners
Kyle Capobianco, Tucson Roadrunners
Kale Clague, Ontario Reign
Martin Frk, Ontario Reign
Glenn Gawdin, Stockton Heat
Lane Pederson, Tucson Roadrunners
Calvin Petersen, Ontario Reign
Anthony Stolarz, San Diego Gulls
T.J. Tynan, Colorado Eagles
Chris Wideman, San Diego Gulls
Andreas Martinsen Clears Unconditional Waivers
Saturday: Martinsen has cleared waivers, CapFriendly reports which will pave the way for Pittsburgh to terminate the rest of his deal.
Friday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Andreas Martinsen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
The Penguins are setting up to be players at the February trade deadline for another season, thanks to some incredible play by the depth that GM Jim Rutherford has built. The team has lost every star player on the roster for long stretches but performed well in the standings anyway, including an 18-6-4 run without captain Sidney Crosby. The fact that Crosby is back healthy alongside Evgeni Malkin and others should embolden Rutherford as the deadline approaches.
To that end, Martinsen’s termination will clear a contract slot for the team to work with. The Penguins had been sitting at 48 on the year meaning they could only add a maximum of two players. This move will give them a little more flexibility in terms of what they can take on and what they will have to give up.
Martinsen meanwhile could be finished in North America after struggling to find a role this season. The 29-year old forward played 24 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL after being acquired in the Erik Gudbranson trade earlier this season, but had just three points.
2021 All-Star Game To Be Held In Florida
Friday: The league has officially confirmed that next year’s All-Star festivities will take place in Sunrise, Florida. Commissioner Gary Bettman added that there are discussions about adding “international flavor” to the events, possibly hinting at the return of the North America vs. World format or perhaps a new international tournament.
Tuesday: The Florida Panthers will host the 2021 NHL All-Star Game, according to George Richards of The Athletic. The event is expected to take place on January 29-30, just before the Super Bowl is held in Tampa.
The Panthers have hosted the All-Star festivities once before, back in 2003. That was in the middle of a disappointing season for the team where they finished in 24th place, a rank they will obviously try to eclipse this time around. The team had just one All-Star representative in 2003, Olli Jokinen, though Sandis Ozolinsh was actually selected for the game just before a trade to the Anaheim Ducks.
With Joel Quenneville at the helm and several top players in their prime, the Panthers could have more than just one representative next season. Jonathan Huberdeau and his 64 points will be there this year, but Aleksander Barkov, Evgenii Dadonov, Keith Yandle, Aaron Ekblad and others all have the ability to hit the ice at the mid-season celebration.
Latest On Toronto’s Search For Defense
The Toronto Maple Leafs need defense. That’s what the prevailing thought has been for the last several seasons, and after Morgan Rielly suffered a broken foot recently that will keep him out for quite a while it isn’t changing anytime soon. Today, Bob McKenzie was on TSN radio talking about the Maple Leafs’ current search for help on the back end:
I think it’s a very specific need. I think it’s a right-shot [defenseman] or a left-shot who has a lot of experience playing on the right side. It’s also somebody who has a significant amount of term on his contract, and by significant I would probably say the low end of the bar would be what they did with [Jake] Muzzin. That is someone who has the rest of this season and another full year before they get to unrestricted free agency.
That is obviously a very precise ask and one that the Maple Leafs have seemingly been unable to find in recent years. One of the first things that former head coach Mike Babcock remarked after the team traded a first-round pick and two prospects for Muzzin last season was how the veteran’s handedness—that is, left-handedness—made him an imperfect fit on the roster. GM Kyle Dubas went out and found Tyson Barrie in the offseason, but he has had mixed results on the ice and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.
So is Cody Ceci, who is turning into a failed experiment of his own after coming over from the Ottawa Senators. If those two leave, the organization will be down to just Justin Holl and Timothy Liljegren among right-handers with any NHL experience (and the latter has just ten minutes at that) signed for the 2020-21 season.
Once again Mathew Dumba is brought up in the conversation with McKenzie along with other speculative names. The Minnesota Wild defenseman is signed through the 2022-23 season but carries a $6MM cap hit, something that might be too expensive for the Maple Leafs to handle as they try to navigate the salary cap with three of the highest-paid forwards in the league on the roster.
Obviously there is an appetite to acquire a defenseman at this point, but it’s clear that the Maple Leafs have a very specific type of player in mind. With now just a month left before the deadline, it is still to be seen whether they can even find that player around the league, let alone land him in trade.
Minor Notes: Timmins, Marlies, Anas
The Colorado Eagles welcomed Conor Timmins back onto the ice at morning skate today, and according to Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now, the defensive prospect will make his return to the lineup tonight. Timmins hasn’t played for the last few weeks with a lower-body injury, but is an interesting name to keep an eye on over the next month.
Not only is Timmins a potential call-up for the Colorado Avalanche after playing in two games at the beginning of the season, but his name has also been thrown around in trade speculation for the last while. The 21-year old was selected 32nd overall in 2017 but has dealt with concussion issues that delayed the start of his professional career. In 22 games with the Eagles this season he has 13 points.
- The Toronto Marlies have been terribly recently after sending several of their top players up to the NHL, but will get some pretty impressive reinforcements tonight. Jake Muzzin and Trevor Moore from the Toronto Maple Leafs will both play against the Cleveland Monsters according to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. The duo are trying to work their way back from injury to help the Maple Leafs in a playoff race, but will have to prove their health at the minor league level first.
- Another change to the AHL All-Star roster was announced, with Iowa Wild forward Sam Anas taking the place of Milwaukee Admirals forward Yakov Trenin. Anas, 26, is an undrafted forward out of Quinnipiac University that has been a huge part of the Iowa attack for four seasons now. His 45 points in 44 games ties him for second in the league alongside teammate Gerald Mayhew, who is already attending.