Minor Transactions: 03/09/2019
With the Montreal Canadiens losing last night – and in convincing fashion, 8-2 to the Anaheim Ducks – the Tampa Bay Lightning have become the first NHL team to clinch a 2019 playoff spot. The President’s Trophy favorites needed just 68 games to do so, the second-fastest team to earn the “X” in the salary cap era. Don’t expect the Lightning to coast the rest of the regular season, but with a 15-point lead over the Boston Bruins for the league, conference, and division crowns, Tampa Bay is in a pretty good spot. For the Bruins, Habs, and 28 other teams (even the Ottawa Senators have not been statistically eliminated) the hunt for a postseason berth continues and tweaks to the roster will accompany that pursuit. There are 24 teams in action today, more than half of whom are currently in playoff positions, so expect a flurry of activity as teams prepare for critical contests at this point in the year.
- After months of practicing with the team and weeks now of playing for their AHL affiliate, veteran forward Lee Stempniak will finally make his official return to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins announced that Stempniak has been recalled on an emergency basis, as Marcus Johansson and Jake DeBrusk remain sidelined with minor injuries. The 36-year-old winger was signed to a contract just prior to the trade deadline and has accumulated five points in seven games with the Providence Bruins this season. When he last played for the Bruins in 2015-16, Stempniak recorded ten points in 19 games; Boston would be ecstatic to get that kind of per-game production out of him again three years later. Stempniak spent the past two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, registering 49 points in 119 total games. Even that level of scoring may be wishful thinking, but this recall can at least be used to get the respected veteran of more than 900 NHL games back up to speed so that he can step in if needed in the postseason.
- CapFriendly reports that the Los Angeles Kings have given forward Carl Grundstrom his first call-up. After being a late scratch by the AHL’s Ontario Reign last night, it seems likely that Grundstrom is on his way to L.A. and could potentially be set to make his NHL debut tonight. Acquired in the Jake Muzzin trade, Grundstrom was a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016. A hard-nosed winger with great work ethic and defensive instincts, Grundstrom already appears capable of being an impact bottom-six forward in the NHL. How his offense comes along – he has 39 points in 55 AHL games this season – will ultimately determine whether his ceiling is any higher. Either way, the Kings are likely excited to get a look at a young player who should be a regular next season.
- Matt Read‘s near-daily shuffle between the NHL and AHL continues. The Wild announced that the veteran winger has once again been returned to Iowa. He has been recalled and sent down four times already this month, something that is likely to continue as long as the health of some of their regular players continues to be in questions. His earlier recalls have been on an emergency basis so they haven’t been counting against their four post-deadline non-emergency call-ups.
- The Flames have returned center Curtis Lazar to Stockton of the AHL, per a team release. He was recalled back on February 15th but did not get into a game in his time with Calgary. The 2013 first-rounder (17th overall to Ottawa) has been productive with the Heat in the minors this season with 36 points in 46 games and with a qualifying offer of $1.05MM required this summer, he’s looking like a potential non-tender candidate in June.
- With the massing amount of injuries, the New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled Eric Tangradi and Brandon Gignac from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The 30-year-old Tangradi has played in 144 NHL games throughout his career, but hasn’t played in a game since the 2015-16 season when he was with the Detroit Red Wings. He has nine goals and 19 points this season in the AHL. Gignac will be recalled for the first time. The 21-year-old, who was a third-round pick in 2016, has 10 goals and 30 points in 54 games this year with Binghamton. With those two added to their roster, New Jersey now has 21 forwards on their active roster.
Strength Of Schedule And The Eastern Conference Wild Card Race
The Tampa Bay Lightning had a chance to clinch a playoff spot last night on the first Thursday in March. While it didn’t go their way, the Bolts are undoubtedly going to be the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are well on their way to a President’s Trophy with a 15-point lead on the next-best team in the league. That next team up is the Boston Bruins, who are second only to Tampa in both the NHL and within their own Atlantic Division. Riding an 18-game point streak, the Bruins’ playoff position is also in little doubt. The Toronto Maple Leafs, currently holding a top-five record in the league, are on pace to finish third in their own division and without home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Boston and Toronto seem destined to meet in that opening round, with the winner likely getting Tampa Bay as their reward for moving on.
As frustrating as the current playoff format may be for the Leafs – as well as the Bruins and Lightning – at least the three teams know where they stand in the postseason structure with a month to go in the regular season. The same can’t be said for the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders. Just eight points separate the New York Islanders, the current Metropolitan Division leaders, from the Columbus Blue Jackets, presently in ninth in the East and on the outside of the playoff picture, in the standings. Between the two are three more Metropolitan teams, as well as the Atlantic’s Montreal Canadiens. With all six of these competitors struggling to pull away from the rest of the group, it could be that each team’s schedule down the stretch determines where they end up by the end of the regular season. Three divisional spots and two wild card spots are up for grabs; who has the luck of the schedule on their side?
According to the strength of schedule numbers released by the NHL this morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ opposing points percentage of .555 is the most favorable of the group. That’s not to say the Pens face an easy slate, though. Pittsburgh faces eight current playoff teams in their final 15 games, not including tomorrow night’s tilt against Columbus, but end the year with a nice stretch that includes a home-and-home against the lowly Red Wings and a final match-up against the Rangers. The experienced Penguins team is a safe bet to stay in the playoff picture, especially if they can get healthy on the back end.
The Montreal Canadiens have a similarly easy schedule, a .575 opposing points percentage, but with a dramatically different ending. Fighting for just one of two wild card spots, the Habs will face eight current playoff teams themselves, again not including a game against the Blue Jackets, but only three of those contests are within their next nine games. Montreal may get a nice boost over the next couple of weeks, but face a daunting final stretch; Columbus, Winnipeg, Tampa, Washington, and Toronto await them in their final five games. How they fare against those Cup contenders could determine whether they make or miss the postseason.
With just seven current playoff teams on the schedule from here on out, not including two run-ins with Columbus, the New York Islanders are in good shape with a .567 opposing points percentage. The team also avoids any road trips of longer than two games for the rest of the season. While a regular season finale against the Capitals could prove critical, the Islanders look as if they should be able to hold on to their playoff spot. The health of Robin Lehner could be a game-changer, though.
Things have not gone as expected since Jarmo Kekalainen and the Columbus Blue Jackets went all out at the trade deadline. The team sits outside of the playoff picture currently, two points back of the final wild card spot, and there is no guarantee that things will get better. The Jackets have a .581 opposing points percentage, including ten games against current playoff teams, and play just six of their final 15 games at home. Perhaps the one saving grace will be trips to Buffalo, the Rangers, and Ottawa in three of their last four games, but Columbus has their work cut out for them.
The Carolina Hurricanes have a similarly tough schedule, but benefit from having a game or two in hand on their playoff berth competition. In their final 16 games, the ‘Canes will face opposition with a .586 points percentage, ten of which are playoff teams. They also have three sets of back-to-back games remaining. However, with the cushion of extra games and dates with the Devils and Flyers to round out the year, the red-hot Hurricanes are on pace to erase their league-worst nine-year playoff drought.
Finally, there are the defending champs. The Washington Capitals not only have the most difficult remaining schedule in the East’s wild card race, but in the entire NHL. At a .599 opposing points percentage, the Caps are about to go through the ringer in their final 15 games. Ten playoff teams are on the docket for Washington, including three games against the powerhouse Lightning and five playoff teams among their final six competitors. Fortunately, the team does play more than half of their remaining match-ups at home, but there’s little else to find comfort in. If any team in this race is at risk of a dramatic fall from their current playoff position, it is the Capitals, especially if the extra work of last year’s Stanley Cup run starts to catch up to them down the stretch.
Minor Transactions: 03/08/19
After the Columbus Blue Jackets failed to gain any ground on the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes last night, the latter two will try to spread the gap even further tonight. The Hurricanes welcome in the powerhouse Winnipeg Jets while the Canadiens continue their west coast swing with a stop off in Anaheim to meet John Gibson and the Ducks. Things could start to look quite dire for the Blue Jackets if they fall back even further, a notion that seemed impossible when they acquired several assets at the deadline.
- It’s a day that ends in Y, so Matt Read is involved in another transaction. This time the veteran forward has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild, his seventh move since the beginning of March. Read still has just six games played for the Wild this season.
- Matt Luff is not quite at Read’s level, but he’s used to the assignment notice himself. Today Luff was sent back to the minor leagues by the Los Angeles Kings after just two games on his most recent call-up. Luff has 11 points in 33 games for the Kings this season, including a goal on Tuesday night against the Canadiens.
- Hudson Fasching has been returned to the Tucson Roadrunners without playing a game for the Arizona Coyotes. The 23-year old was acquired by the Coyotes last summer, but still has yet to get into any game action at the NHL level. In 22 contests with the Buffalo Sabres, Fasching recorded three points.
- Karson Kuhlman is heading back to the AHL after just one day with the Boston Bruins. The 23-year old forward has two points in five games for the Bruins this season, his first year of professional hockey.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Justin Bailey back to the AHL, the team announced. Bailey, acquired earlier this season from the Buffalo Sabres, was held scoreless in six games with the Flyers on the call-up and will look to spark his offense back down with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
- The AHL’s registry lists Colorado Avalanche forward Sheldon Dries as having been returned to the Colorado Eagles. The moves comes as little surprise, as Dries has been a frequent back-and-forth player this season, suiting up for 40 games with the Avs and 13 with the Eagles.
- Just prior to puck drop on their match-up with the Montreal Canadiens, the Anaheim Ducks have announced that young forwards Sam Steel and Kevin Roy have been reassigned to the AHL. The duo have played the majority of the season with the San Diego Gulls but Steel, a 2016 first-round pick, has skated in 16 games with the Ducks while Roy, the former Northeastern University standout, has seen just three games.
Atlantic Notes: Zadina, Holmstrom, Steen
When Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Filip Zadina takes the ice tonight, it will mark his fifth NHL game. More importantly, it means he is halfway toward burning the first year of his entry-level contract. Under the NHL CBA, an 18- or 19-year-old player may have their entry-level contract “slide” if he does not play a minimum of 10 NHL games in a given season. For the first-year pro Zadina, this looked like a likely outcome for much of the year. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft had played exclusively in the AHL this season until late last month, when he was finally recalled by the Red Wings. Now Detroit has a decision to make.
With 14 games remaining in the regular season for a team that is well beyond any playoff hopes, the Red Wings brass must decide if they want to limit Zadina to less than five more games down the stretch, thereby extending his rookie deal by one year, or instead continue to provide NHL experience to an elite young player who is likely to be a regular contributor beginning next season. Zadina, a talented forward who had recorded 31 points in 45 AHL games prior to his recall, projects to see a major raise in his next contract given his draft pedigree and expected production over the next few years, giving Detroit all the more reason to extend his affordable entry-level deal if possible. However, to both appease the young core player and further his development, they may just opt to keep Zadina in Detroit for the remainder of the season at the cost of burning a year off the deal. Either way, Zadina is bound for a return to the Grand Rapids Griffins for a postseason run, so the only question is simply when he is sent back down. Two other players who risk losing their “slide” status are Boston Bruins defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas, both of whom are presently in the AHL and have played a handful of games in the NHL this season and would be near the top of the recall list if their team was to suffer injuries down the stretch or in the postseason.
- One Red Wings prospect who looks like he may never suit up for the team is Axel Holmstrom. All season long, there has been rumors that the 22-year-old Swedish forward was eyeing a return to Europe when his current contract expired at the end of the season. Although Holmstrom will be a restricted free agent, Detroit can do nothing to keep him in the system if he wishes to leave and can only retain his NHL rights moving forward by making a qualifying offer. The doubt about Holmstrom’s longevity in North America even prompted his KHL rights to be traded this season. However, a new report from Swedish news source Kvall Posten has turned up the heat on the Holmstrom rumors and makes it sound as if the NHL and KHL are both out of the running already. The article states instead that Holmstrom has become a hot commodity back home in Sweden, with several SHL teams reportedly already bidding for his services. In fact, it is stated that two well-known teams have already been priced out. Skelleftea AIK, the team Holmstrom played for prior to coming to North America three years ago, and the Vaxjo Lakers HC, another top contender in SHL this season, are both expected to be out of the running. The remaining bidders are thought to be current league leader Lulea HF, whose GM recently met with Holmstrom in person in Grand Rapids, and HV71, who are believed to have made the highest offer. With this kind of bidding war going on among teams in his home country, it is very unlikely that Holmstrom will be back with Detroit next season. The young forward has been consistent if unspectacular in two full AHL seasons with the Griffins and does not seem all that close to pushing for a regular role with the Red Wings. He is bound to land a greater role and a raise on his current salary of less than $700K if (when) he returns to Sweden.
- One player looking to make the opposite move – a jump to the NHL – is Boston Bruins prospect Oskar Steen. A sixth-round pick in 2016, Steen immediately looked like a steal for the Bruins. The small, but skilled forward played 47 games in the SHL as an 18-year-old in 2016-17 and then followed it up by making the Swedish World Junior team last year while again playing in 45 SHL games and doubling his previous point total. However, this year he has shed his role player status and blossomed into a top scorer for Farjestad BK. Still just 20, Steen has nevertheless posted 37 points in 44 games to lead all forwards in scoring and help the team to a top playoff seed. His play has begun to garner attention outside of Sweden. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver notes that Steen is being considered for a spot on Sweden’s entry into the upcoming World Championships, while adding that he is expected to sign with Boston this off-season. Steen will likely have to spend some time in the AHL at first, but is yet another young forward who will push for ice time with the Bruins next year.
Minor Transactions: 03/07/19
The NHL has a busy schedule this evening with 11 games on tap, including an all-important battle in the Metropolitan Division. The Pittsburgh Penguins will welcome in the Columbus Blue Jackets in a game that could finish with the two part of a three-way tie with the Carolina Hurricanes at 79 points. Columbus pushed all their chips to the middle at the trade deadline by acquiring Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid and Keith Kinkaid, but are still at risk of missing the playoffs altogether. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Dylan Gambrell from the minor leagues as several players deal with the flu. Gambrell has been up and down several times this season, but is dominating in his first year of minor league action. In 39 games for the San Jose Barracuda, the former University of Denver standout has 38 points. The Sharks are in action against the Montreal Canadiens tonight.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Karson Kuhlman under emergency conditions, giving the team an extra option for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers. Kuhlman made his NHL debut earlier this season and has two points in four games overall.
- With Dylan Larkin missing tonight’s game against the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled Christoffer Ehn from the minor leagues. The 22-year old center is up under emergency conditions, meaning he’ll likely go back down when Larkin is able to return to action.
Marcus Johansson Suffers Lung Contusion
The Boston Bruins have issued an update on Marcus Johansson following his departure from last night’s game. The newly acquired forward spent the night in hospital after testing revealed a lung contusion. He has since been discharged, but will be re-evaluated in a week.
Johansson was acquired from the New Jersey Devils at the deadline to give the Bruins another versatile scoring threat, and tallied one assist through his first three games with the club. Unfortunately he ran into Micheal Ferland early in the Bruins game last night, and left on his second shift of the game. A bruised lung isn’t the worst diagnosis given how much trouble Johansson had getting off the ice, but it certainly won’t help Boston as they search for home ice advantage in the first round.
The Bruins are sitting three points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second spot in the Atlantic Division and are on an incredible streak. The team has not been defeated in regulation since January 19, 17 games ago. Still, any stumbles down the stretch could cost them and losing Johansson won’t help.
Bruins’ Kevan Miller Out “Week-To-Week”
This season’s Boston Bruins team nor veteran defenseman Kevan Miller are any strangers to injury. The Bruins have dealt with mass amounts of man-games lost this year, including from Miller, who had missed 26 games this season already, split between two separate 13-game injuries. As such, it was hardly a surprise when head coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned today that what was initially considered a routine minor injury for Miller has proven to be anything but. Following what Cassidy called “bad news on an MRI”, Miller is considered “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury.
Miller has already missed three games on this third injury stint of the year, taking his total games sidelined to 29 versus just 36 played. The rugged defenseman is not afraid to put his body in harm’s way, whether that’s blocking shots or taking a hit to make a play. While that’s part of what endears him to his teammates and coaches, it also lands him on the IR more often than he would like. This situation is no different, as Miller took a puck up high against the Vegas Golden Knights and left the game early and has not appeared for the Bruins since. All three of his injuries this season have come while in the shooting lane, while this is the second season in a row that Miller has been injured while visiting the Golden Knights. Even in his injuries the dependable defender is consistent.
Even having missed close to half of the season so far, Miller still leads Boston in blocked shots, showing how adept he is at the task but also why it has so frequently caused him harm. He is also second only to Charlie McAvoy in hits per game among Bruins defenseman, so that element of his game will also be missed down the stretch. However, depth on the blue line is not an area of concern for Boston this season. John Moore, who only recently lost his starting job once the Bruins were at full health on the back end, has taken over Miller’s role seamlessly. Steven Kampfer, who the team has not needed to play in the calendar year, is another veteran option and a right-shot should Cassidy wish to balance out his blue line with Miller out. There’s also Urho Vaakanainen, Jeremy Lauzon, Jakub Zboril, and Connor Clifton, who are all highly regarded and have logged NHL minutes already this season. All Boston defenseman may have to ramp up their aggressiveness in Miller’s absence, but otherwise the team should be fine. Even with Miller out for potentially weeks longer, the Bruins should be capable of dealing with another injury or allowing for rest down the stretch. Of course, the hope is Miller is ready to return before the postseason begins.
The Bruins also issued some good news today, announcing that key bottom-six forward Sean Kuraly should be ready to go for Thursday night’s game. Kuraly missed Boston’s last game and will presumably miss their next on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes with a concussion, but is on the road to recovery. As for star forward David Pastrnak, Cassidy simply said that he is on schedule in his rehab. This comes after the two week re-evaluation promised last month after he underwent thumb surgery, but stops short of issuing a new timeline. Seeing as the Bruins have not lost in regulation since January 10th, the team is under no pressure to rush Pastrnak – or Miller – back early.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Rule Changes, Percy
The NHL has released their three stars for last week, and familiar names occupy each spot. Marc-Andre Fleury is in the top spot after going 3-0 with two shutouts for the Vegas Golden Knights. Fleury allowed just one goal on 77 shots and is now carrying a .911 save percentage on the year. While that number is down from last season, Fleury leads the league with 32 wins and eight shutouts while also having played the most minutes of any goaltender. The Golden Knights are leaning heavily on their starter, a strategy that will be tested when the playoffs roll around.
Blake Wheeler and Sidney Crosby were awarded second and third respectively, each scoring eight points in three games. Wheeler’s performance was capped by a four-goal game against the Columbus Blue Jackets yesterday, giving him 80 points on the season. Crosby, who has 83 this year is actually on pace to record his best offensive season since 2009-10 and crack the 100-point mark for the sixth time in his career.
- The GM meetings began this week in Florida, and Frank Seravalli of TSN examines ten potential rule changes that the group will be discussing. These include things like changing standings tiebreaker rules, changing how much a player can be fined for certain incidents, and perhaps even forcing players to wear helmets during warm-ups. It doesn’t sound like any huge changes will come out of this week’s discussions, but there might be a few tweaks.
- The AHL trade deadline passed today with very little fanfare, but not for Stuart Percy. The former top prospect was traded from the Belleville Senators to the Providence Bruins in exchange for Austin Fyten. Percy, originally selected in the first round eight years ago, has just 12 NHL games under his belt and is currently on a minor league contract.
Minor Transactions: 02/28/19
Seven games grace the NHL schedule tonight, including John Tavares‘ return to New York. The former Islanders captain spurned the team by choosing the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency and is expected to get a less than welcome reception upon his return tonight. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins do battle in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. As the league prepares, we’ll be right here to keep track of all the minor moves.
- Sammy Blais is on his way back down again, a usual occurrence recently for the young St. Louis Blues forward. Blais has been moved up or down eleven times this season, including a recall just two days ago. The 22-year old has three points in 27 games for the Blues this season.
- Sam Steel and Jacob Larsson were both returned to the San Diego Gulls last night, their stay as insurance policies for the Anaheim Ducks apparently over for now. The pair will continue their development at the AHL level and wait for another opportunity.
- Drake Batherson has been recalled today for the Ottawa Senators as Rudolfs Balcers deals with the flu. The Senators are giving all of their young prospects a chance to show what they can do at the end of the year, and Batherson is one of the most exciting. The 20-year old fourth-round pick has developed into quite the professional already, recording 49 points in 41 games for the Belleville Senators while also contributing eight points in 19 games for Ottawa.
- Matt Luff has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings for their game against the Dallas Stars, another young player set to get a chance down the stretch. Luff has played 30 games for the Kings this season and has ten points including seven goals.
- The Boston Bruins have sent Karson Kuhlman back to the minor leagues according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. Kuhlman played four games earlier this month for Boston, recording two points in the process. Later in the day, the Bruins also announced that they returned Peter Cehlarik to to the AHL. Cehlarik fared well in 14 games with Boston where he collected six points but his ice time had dropped in recent games so he’ll return to the minors and play a prominent role with Providence.
Minor Transactions: 02/27/19
It’s a quiet night in the NHL with just five games scheduled, but there are sure to be some fireworks regardless. Connor McDavid makes his return from a two-game suspension in his hometown while the Calgary Flames take on a decimated New Jersey Devils lineup. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Karson Kuhlman and Peter Cehlarik under emergency conditions after Noel Acciari and Patrice Bergeron both missed practice this morning. The team takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night and likely just wanted some extra bodies to serve as insurance. Kuhlman made his NHL debut earlier this month and scored two points in four games with the Bruins.
- Samuel Montembeault has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Florida Panthers after James Reimer suffered an injury last night. The veteran backup left the game against the Arizona Coyotes and did not return, though it’s not clear yet how long his injury will keep him out. Montembeault is carrying a .901 save percentage through 37 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Sam Steel and Jacob Larsson under emergency conditions, though may only get into the lineup if another injury pops up. The team is expected to be without Ryan Getzlaf due to injury. Steel has played 14 games in the NHL this season while Larsson found himself in the lineup 38 times before his demotion.
- Jake Bean and Haydn Fleury have both been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes under emergency conditions, giving the team two extra defensemen. The Hurricanes don’t play again until Friday, but both Justin Faulk and Calvin de Haan are listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
- Teddy Blueger has been brought back up by the Pittsburgh Penguins under emergency conditions. Blueger only went down on Monday to maintain his AHL eligibility, but will join back with the team for now. The Penguins are dealing with several injuries and could use Blueger up front to help replace Bryan Rust.
- Andrew Cogliano is expected to miss the first game of his career due to injury tomorrow, so the Dallas Stars have recalled Joel L’Esperance from the minor leagues. L’Esperance is still looking for his first point at the NHL level but has 29 goals this season in the AHL.