All-Star Notes: Vasilevskiy, Letang, PWHPA
The NHL has announced that Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will replace Tuukka Rask at the upcoming All-Star Game, though no reason was given for why the Boston Bruins netminder will miss the game. If Rask isn’t injured and doesn’t have a league-accepted excuse for missing the game, he would be subject to a one-game suspension.
Vasilevskiy joins Frederik Andersen as the goaltenders for the Atlantic Division after recently going on an incredible run. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner has won his last eight appearances, posting a .946 save percentage in those games. Even more recent were back-to-back shutouts last week that earned him first star honors from the league.
- In the absence of Alex Ovechkin, who informed the league that he will not be attending the All-Star festivities, Kris Letang has been named captain of the Metropolitan team. Letang was not even originally named to the team, but added when the Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh’s original selection, suffered a season-ending injury.
- The All-Star competitions will not only feature NHL players this season, as members of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association will also take part in a 3-on-3 game during the first day of the event. Hailey Salvian of The Athletic (subscription required) reports the latest details on the game, which is expected to only include players from the PWHPA, a group currently boycotting the NWHL and showcasing their talent in the “Dream Gap Tour.” Members including Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne-Schofield and Brianna Decker have been included at the All-Star festivities in the past—with Coyne-Schofield even being an official competitor in the fastest skater event last year.
Matt Grzelcyk Could Play Monday
- Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk left Saturday’s game early after taking a slash but it doesn’t appear as if he’ll be out for long. Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald mentions that the blueliner skated on Sunday after x-rays came back negative and that he could be available for their next game on Monday.
Bruins, Kings Have Had Discussions Regarding Tyler Toffoli
- The Bruins have had interest in Kings winger Tyler Toffoli for a while now and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested in the latest 31 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that they could do a deal for him at any time and that “they know they’ve got that in their hip pocket”. If that is indeed the case, it would seem that GM Don Sweeney is likely focusing on trying land a more impactful rental or this year’s version of Charlie Coyle, a secondary scoring addition that brings an extra year of control. With their cap situation, however, Boston would need the Kings to retain some of Toffoli’s $4.6MM AAV to have a chance at getting a deal done.
Snapshots: Chara, Caggiula, Gustafsson
Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was a surprise absence from the lineup on Thursday night, with the team providing little indication before puck drop that he would not be available. However, the reasoning is tied to the only cause of missed action for Chara dating back to the 2019 postseason. Chara suffered a fractured jaw in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final and missed the remainder of the game, though he admirably returned for Games Five through Seven. Chara underwent surgery this summer, but was healthy by training camp and the 42-year-old has not dealt with any other injuries so far this year. Chara only missed his first game of the season back in December due to a clean-up procedure on his jaw. Now, it seems the jaw has stuck again, after Chara took a couple of good shots from the Nashville Predators’ Yakov Trenin in a fight on Tuesday night. There has been no time frame provided for Chara’s return to action, as this could simply just be soreness related to the surgically-repaired jaw, which would lend itself to the late announcement that he would not play. The Bruins will be happy to have their veteran leader back whenever he is ready, as the iconic defenseman continues to play big minutes for Boston.
- Drake Caggiula has returned to the lineup for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday after having missed nearly two months with a concussion. Caggiula, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last season, is hoping he can return to the same level of production he flashed after initially arriving in Chicago, recording 12 points in 26 games. Caggiula had just four points through 15 games to begin this season, but the opportunity is there for the two-way forward to take on a bigger role for the offense-challenged Blackhawks.
- Winnipeg Jets rookie David Gustafsson played his first 22 games of the season in the NHL and then played well at the World Junior Championship. His reward? A demotion to the AHL. The Manitoba Moose report that Gustafsson has been reassigned to the team, where he will make his AHL debut after reporting directly to the Jets after coming over from Sweden this year. Gustafsson had just one lone point with the Jets before being loaned to the WJC, but if his production in the SHL and on the international stage are any indication, he could be a scoring force for the Moose and earn his way back to Winnipeg shortly.
Minor Transactions: 01/09/20
It’s another busy day in the NHL with 11 games set for this evening, including cross-conference battles. Four different teams from the Atlantic Division are taking on Western Conference opponents, with the most interesting being a matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes. Both teams are on fire at the moment, with the Lightning having won eight in a row and the Coyotes now sitting at the top of the Pacific Division. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves:
- After only being sent down yesterday, Steven Kampfer has been recalled again by the Boston Bruins. Kampfer was skating on the right side with Matt Grzelcyk at the morning skate, with Torey Krug absent. Boston will be taking on the Winnipeg Jets tonight as a quick one-game home stand before hitting the road again for three matchups against the Metro.
- Sebastian Aho—the defenseman—has been returned to the AHL by the New York Islanders. Aho had been recalled when Adam Pelech was ruled out with injury, but never actually did play. New York doesn’t play again until Saturday, meaning Aho can get into some minor league action for the time being.
- Christian Jaros has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Ottawa Senators, who are slowly getting some healthy bodies back on the blueline. In his place, Filip Chlapik is back up with the NHL club.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minor Transactions: 01/06/20
Another week starts in the NHL with four games on the schedule, including the expected debut of Ilya Kovalchuk with the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal will take on the Winnipeg Jets, who Kovalchuk never played for yet holds many all-time records. Those records of course were set when he was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers before the organization relocated, the real prime of Kovalchuk’s career. As the teams in action tonight prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Andrew Agozzino while sending Thomas Di Pauli to the minor leagues. Di Pauli made his NHL debut just a few days ago, but will now have to return to the AHL and wait for his next opportunity.
- Niko Mikkola is on his way back to the NHL from the San Antonio Rampage, flipped for Jake Walman by the St. Lous Blues. Walman made his debut on Saturday night and played just over 11 minutes, but will be replaced by Mikkola who is still hoping to get into an NHL lineup for the first time. The Blues play the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night and will try to get back on track after three consecutive losses.
- Steven Kampfer has been recalled by the Boston Bruins to serve as an extra defenseman as they head on the road. The Bruins will play the Nashville Predators tomorrow, trying to crack their own three-game losing streak and stay above the pushing Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.
- Dalton Smith has been sent back to the AHL after just 86 seconds of NHL ice time. The veteran minor league forward was given a contract with the Sabres recently but he’ll have to head back to the Rochester Americans for the time being.
- Joel Kiviranta is back with the Dallas Stars after a short trip to the AHL. The 23-year old forward has already been involved in three transactions since the start of the year, moving up and down between the two leagues.
Minor Transactions: 01/05/20
After a busy slate on the docket in the NHL, the one thing that stood out is the sudden strength of the Pacific Division. Despite winning their fourth straight in a rare three-goal comeback victory over the Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues, the Vegas Golden Knights failed to gain any ground as the top team in the Pacific. Vegas continues to hold just a two-point lead over Arizona, who won their third straight Saturday. The Vancouver Canucks remain just four points behind that after winning their seventh straight Saturday, while even the Edmonton Oilers captured a win to stay just five games behind Vegas. Plenty of teams will be making roster moves today. Check back throughout the day to see what moves teams made:
- With their Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta ailing, the Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Ivan Prosvetov from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. With Adin Hill already recalled, that gives them four goaltenders on the NHL roster and The Athletic’s Craig Morgan confirmed that all four goaltenders will travel with the team on Arizona’s upcoming three-game road trip. Raanta went down Saturday with an injury, although early reports suggest it’s not too serious.
- Providence Journal’s Mark Divver reports that the Boston Bruins have assigned defenseman Steven Kampfer to the Providence Bruins of the AHL, although the scribe points out that the move could be a paper transaction to help Boston’s salary cap situation.
- TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh writes that the Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned goaltender Emil Larmi to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. Larmi served as the backup to Matt Murray Saturday against Montreal, but was only recalled because Wilkes-Barre Scranton starter Casey DeSmith misplaced his passport.
- The New York Rangers placed forward Brendan Lemieux on injured reserve late last night, according to CapFriendly. The 23-year-old has been out since Dec. 27 after suffering a broken hand. The team didn’t immediately place him on IR, but now have opted to do so. Lemieux is still targeting a late January return to the team. He has five goals and 13 points so far this season to go with 87 penalty minutes.
Connor Clifton Placed On IR
- The Bruins have transferred defenseman Connor Clifton to injured reserve, reports Matt Porter of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The move opens up a roster spot which will be filled by Steven Kampfer who is back with the team per the AHL’s Transactions page. Kampfer had only been sent to Providence on Friday.
Minor Transactions: 01/03/19
Just two games are on the schedule for today before a busy weekend in the NHL, meaning teams have time to assess their roster and make any changes needed. Even though there isn’t a ton of action, there are still some storylines to keep an eye on. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will be heading to Carolina to take on Andrei Svechnikov and the Hurricanes in a battle of two Metropolitan playoff hopefuls. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves as those teams and others get ready:
- The Ottawa Senators have returned Erik Brannstrom to the minor leagues after acquiring Mike Reilly yesterday. Brannstrom obviously still needs some time to polish out his two-way game, even if he has flashed glimpses of the top-pairing potential he possesses.
- With Victor Olofsson injured last night, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled Scott Wilson from the minor leagues. There’s no word on the extent of the injury just yet, but the team is making moves to secure some NHL depth.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have returned Justin Scott to the AHL, perhaps a sign that someone will be coming back for them before long. The Blue Jackets’ injury list is longer than their roster at the moment, but they’ve still won two in a row.
- Nick Seeler is heading to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan, to get in some game action and stay fresh for the Minnesota Wild. The 26-year old has played in just six games this season and would be a difficult name to call as a replacement right now.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Casey DeSmith to serve as backup for a game, as they let Tristan Jarry rest and get ready for his next appearance. Jarry has performed incredibly this season for the Penguins, but is already approaching the most NHL starts he’s ever had in a single year. He’ll prepare to play the earlier start on Sunday. The team has also recalled Thomas Di Pauli.
- The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned a trio of players to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Chris Wideman, Daniel Sprong, and Sam Carrick will all head back to the minors. Wideman was only recalled yesterday – his first call-up of the season – and Sprong on Monday, making it a quick stint for both.
- Steven Kampfer cleared waivers back in early December but has still spent much of the past month in Boston. Yet, as the Bruins get healthy, Kampfer now heads back to AHL Providence, per insider Mark Divver. Kampfer will serve the second game of a two-game AHL suspension tonight, Divver adds.
Minor Transactions: 01/02/20
After the Winter Classic brought several lasting memories, including Corey Perry‘s long walk to the dressing room and a penalty shot by Denis Gurianov, the NHL is back to their regularly scheduled programming. Today brings 12 games and lots of intrigue, including a top matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. As team’s prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves:
- The Winnipeg Jets have sent Joona Luoto back to the AHL to continue his development. The 22-year old has played in 16 games at the NHL level but doesn’t have a point yet.
- After starting the year on season-opening injured reserve, Anton Blidh is ready to get into some action. He’ll go to the Providence Bruins on a LTI conditioning loan, which sounds bad but is actually a positive step.
- Jeremy Lauzon has also been sent to Providence by the Boston Bruins, after making his season debut earlier this week. Lauzon, 22, has ten points in 35 games for the P-Bruins.