Minor Transactions: 10/20/19
After a full slate of games Saturday, the NHL docket has just five matchups today. However, with injuries growing, several teams will be making roster moves today:
- After being a healthy scratch for the past couple of games, the Florida Panthers announced they have loaned forward Henrik Borgstrom to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. The Panthers’ first-round pick in 2016 has struggled in Florida’s lineup through four games. He failed to score any points in that time and was averaging just 12:23 when on the ice. Borgstrom, who many felt would be a key prospect for the Panthers, played 50 games for Florida last year, scoring eight goals and 18 points. The hope is that a bigger role in Springfield can allow the 22-year-old to find his game in the minors.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced they have sent goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the Rochester Americans of the AHL as he is ready to start his professional career after undergoing offseason hip surgery. The 20-year-old netminder was dominant in his one junior season last year after being taken in the second round in the 2017 draft. He won the OHL’s Most Valuable Player award and was just the sixth goalie to win the award. He finished with 38 wins, a 2.50 GAA and a .920 save percentage for the Sudbury Wolves.
- After making his NHL debut for the Nashville Predators Saturday, the team announced today that they are assigning forward Yakov Trenin to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. The 22-year-old forward, who was dominating early in Milwaukee’s season with four goals in three games, played 12:35 in his debut on Nashville’s third line. He will likely continue to develop his skills in the AHL until the team needs his services again.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have assigned forward Markus Hannikainen to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The forward was recalled nine days previously, but served as an emergency forward and never appeared in a game. The 26-year-old will return to Cleveland where he has a goal in two games. Hannikainen played in 44 games for the Blue Jackets last year.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned forward Jordan Szwarz to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. The 28-year-old was recalled almost a week ago and saw action in three games, although when he did play, he saw little time on the ice, averaging 4:55 per game. The minor-league veteran will return to Belleville. He scored 23 goals for the Providence Bruins last season.
- The Vegas Golden Knights added some depth to their team as the team announced they have recalled forward Nicolas Roy from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, giving the team the maximum 23 players now and 13 forwards. Roy has yet to appear in an NHL game despite already spending some time on Vegas’ roster. The 6-foot-4 forward could be a valuable asset on the teams’ fourth line. He was acquired during the offseason as part of the trade that sent Erik Haula to Carolina. Roy has been scoreless in three appearances with the Wolves.
- The Calgary Sun’s Kristen Anderson reports that the Calgary Flames have recalled forward Alan Quine from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 26-year-old forward has fared well in limited action with Stockton, posting a goal and five points in four games this year. He played 13 games with the Flames, scoring three goals and five points. Anderson writes that head coach Bill Peters suggested there was an injury on the Flames’ roster, but didn’t divulge that information. Fan 960 Radio Host Pat Steinberg reports the Flames consequently assigned defenseman Oliver Kylington to Stockton.
Trade Rumors: Wild, Hurricanes, Ristolainen
The Minnesota Wild finally picked up their first win of the season on Monday. Yet, they immediately followed that up with a loss on Tuesday and are on their way to another loss tonight. The Wild will likely head home from their Canadian road trip with a 1-6-0 record on the year and their only points coming against the Ottawa Senators. Combine that with last season’s “big” trade acquisitions of Kevin Fiala, Ryan Donato, and Victor Rask all having been healthy scratches at least once and free agent centerpiece Mats Zuccarello being held scoreless through four games prior to an injury, and it is easy to see why the situation in Minnesota this season is already so bleak. Thus, it should come as little surprise that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his “31 Thoughts” column that Minnesota will “listen on everything.” New GM Bill Guerin is likely eager to make his mark on the team and hopeful that he can right the wrongs of his much-maligned predecessor, Paul Fenton. As one might expect from the level-headed Guerin, Friedman writes that he is not willing to rush into anything just for the sake of making a move, despite such a poor start. However, should the opportunity present itself to make a move that he feels is right for the team, Guerin won’t be afraid to pull the trigger and shake things up. Friedman feels that team’s biggest need is to add right-handed forwards. Currently, the team has just two: Ryan Hartman and Luke Kunin. If one exists on the trade market, a young, natural right wing or righty center could be a good long-term investment for Minnesota. However, the Wild are likely to be in more of a seller mode than buyer in the immediate future. Much of their roster is signed long-term, but Jonas Brodin, Eric Staal, Marcus Foligno, and perhaps even captain Mikko Koivu, an impending free agent, could be on the block.
- The Carolina Hurricanes hoped to land an NHL forward when they traded away defenseman Justin Faulk, but a potential deal with the Anaheim Ducks that would have brought Ondrej Kase to Raleigh fell through and the team settled for defenseman Joel Edmundson and promising, but raw forward prospect Dominik Bokk. Now, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the search for a top-nine forward continues for Carolina, despite their red-hot start. Neither of the two names mentioned by LeBrun as players that the ‘Canes have kicked the tires on should come as any surprise. The first is disgruntled young Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi, who is currently playing overseas. This matches up with a recent report that the Oilers continue to pursue NHL-ready Carolina prospect Julien Gauthier, but turned down a one-for-one offer for Puljujarvi this summer. With both Edmonton and Carolina playing well and wanting immediate help, it could be that the trade now makes more sense for both sides. The second player named is Joshua Ho-Sang, another frustrated young forward who is currently sitting at home waiting to be traded by the New York Islanders, who instructed him not to report to the AHL after he failed to make the team. Both Puljujarvi and Ho-Sang are behavioral question marks, but bring both upside and roster flexibility should reigning GM of the Year candidate Don Waddell decide to make a deal.
- LeBrun also reports that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is likely no longer on the trade block. While at one point both sides had agreed that a change of scenery was a good idea, the Sabres are off to a strong start this season and Ristolainen recently spoke about how much he is enjoying playing for new head coach Ralph Kreuger and his happiness with being in Buffalo. LeBrun doubts that the team wants to upset their early momentum, while noting that trade talks this summer did not bear any fruit anyway. Ristolainen can still be a key contributor for the team and they seem content to maintain the status quo so long as they continue to accumulate points.
Eastern Notes: Eberle, Ho-Sang, Jokiharju, Malgin
The New York Islanders are still awaiting the status of first-line winger Jordan Eberle, who appeared to injure his right leg in the third period of their game Saturday against the Florida Panthers. Eberle took a late-game check from Florida’s Mike Matheson that forced him out of the game as he was in obvious pain. However, Eberle did stay on the bench for the remainder of the game, but Newsday’s Andrew Gross wonders whether Eberle could miss some time.
“I couldn’t give a time frame,” coach Barry Trotz said after the game. “He got hit in a strange spot. We’ll evaluate it.”
Eberle, who signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract during the offseason, had three assists in his first five games. However, the team would lose an impact top-six player from their lineup. One possibility would be for the Islanders to recall top prospect Oliver Wahlstrom, who has a goal and three points in four games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.
- In the same article, Gross notes that Islanders prospect Joshua Ho-Sang who has requested a trade after not making the Islanders’ opening day lineup, still hasn’t reported to the Sound Tigers in the AHL per instructions from president and general manager Lou Lamoriello. He was requested to stay away from the team while the Islanders looked for trade partners, but no trade has been made and the 23-year-old has been sitting for two weeks so far. Lamoriello said on Friday that there was still no update. Ho-Sang has languished in the AHL for three years, but because of a questionable reputation, was not claimed when New York passed him through waivers.
- The Buffalo Sabres could have a logjam at defense once they get back some of their injured players, including Brandon Montour, Zach Bogosian and Lawrence Pilut. While they aren’t yet ready to return, the team is already loaded with depth at that position. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, in his mailbag column, writes that the easy answer would have been for the team to send Henri Jokiharju down to the AHL after Montour is ready to return from his hand injury. However, Lysowski reports that Jokiharju has been told be management to find a place to live in Buffalo as it looks like he’s expected to stay with the Sabres long-term.
- Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville has been mixing up his line combinations after the team struggled out of the gate, especially on offense, according to George Richards of The Athletic (subscription required). One find for the head coach has been winger Denis Malgin, who jumped into the lineup on Friday, replacing 22-year-old Henrik Borgstrom on the third line. The coach was impressed enough that Borgstrom was back in the press box a second night on Saturday as Queeneville moved Malgin to the second line where he immediately scored a goal.
Minor Transactions: 10/13/19
The Oilers and Avalanche stayed undefeated and the Senators stunned the Lightning on Saturday, which featured a busy slate of 14 games. As usual, Sunday is somewhat quieter, but tonight’s three match-ups feature two Pacific Division rivalry games and a battle between injury-bitten clubs as the Jets host the Penguins. As teams react to yesterday’s games and prepare for tonight and the week ahead, follow along with all of the roster transactions right here:
- Fresh off of an inspired first win of the season over the reigning President’s Trophy winners, the Ottawa Senators are getting ready to welcome a veteran asset back to the lineup. The team announced that rookie forward Vitaly Abramov has been reassigned to AHL Belleville. In his place, Mikkel Boedker is expected to return to the lineup, reports the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Boedker left the team’s season opener with an injury and has not played since, but seems ready to return and contribute. The 29-year-old is hoping to re-discover his 50-point form as he’s expected to play a larger role in Ottawa this year compared to last.
- The Minnesota Wild are still searching for their first point on the season – they are the only team without one – and are calling in reinforcements. The team announced that they have recalled forward Gerry Mayhew from the minors. Mayhew’s recall has been much-anticipated after he broke records in AHL Iowa last year with 27 regular season goals and nine postseason goals in just eleven games. A standout at Ferris State University, Mayhew’s production has actually improved at the pro level. The 26-year-old recorded 60 points last year for Iowa and already has six points through five games this year. The Wild hope that he again excels against elevated competition in his first NHL call-up. The team could certainly use the help. The Minnesota Wild also announced that prospect Ivan Lodnia has been assigned from the Iowa Wild of the AHL to his junior team, the Niagra Ice Dogs of the OHL. The 20-year-old hasn’t played a game with the Iowa Wild and will instead play an overage season in the OHL. Drafted in the third-round of the 2017 draft, Lodnia appeared in just 41 games last year, posting solid numbers, however, 17 goals and 45 points. Lodnia appeared in six regular season games at the end of the 2018-19 season, but failed to register a point.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Curtis Lazar from the Rochester Americans of the AHL, according to The Athletic’s Joe Yerdon. With a four-game schedule coming up this week, which includes a three-game road trip to California, the team needed some extra forward depth, especially after the injury to Conor Sheary. Lazar spent all of last season in the AHL with the exception of one game with the Calgary Flames. He’ll likely be used as a healthy scratch, but could work his way into one game.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Brian Gibbons from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 31-year-old forward has fared well in the AHL with a goal and four points in four games. He spent all of 2018-19 in the NHL, playing 44 games (two goals and five points) with the Anaheim Ducks before being traded to Ottawa where he posted six goals and 14 points in 20 games. He will likely be there to provide depth after the injury to Jordan Martinook.
Conor Sheary Out Week-To-Week
After further evaluation, the Buffalo Sabres have announced that Conor Sheary will actually be out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury. Sheary was listed as day-to-day just yesterday, but it seems he’ll miss more time than originally expected. Even with Sheary out, head coach Ralph Krueger told reporters including Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that the team will not likely recall a forward from the AHL, at least through the weekend.
Sheary, 27, was off to a hot start with the Sabres this season, scoring two goals and three points through his first three games despite averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time. He’d been playing lower in the lineup than last season, but that may have changed at some point given his early success. The Sabres have a 2-0-1 record on the year so far and look much improved over the squads that have finished at or near the bottom of the NHL standings the last several seasons.
It is a very important season for the undrafted Sheary, as he heads towards unrestricted free agency. If he can get back to the level he showed in Pittsburgh as a young player, scoring 23 goals and 53 points, he’d be in for a substantial raise over his current $3MM cap hit. If he struggles with injury and inconsistency again, it’s not clear what kind of a market there will be for the 27-year old.
Conor Sheary Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
The Sabres could be without winger Conor Sheary for their next game on Wednesday as the team announced (Twitter link) that he is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old is off to a strong start for Buffalo this season with three points in as many games despite averaging just over 11 minutes a night in playing time. Center Evan Rodrigues, a healthy scratch for the first three games despite getting a $2MM award in arbitration, is pegged to take Sheary’s spot in the lineup.
Minor Transactions: 10/03/19
The NHL regular season is underway, and the stars have already made their mark. Auston Matthews showed why he’s a perfect prop bet in season-openers by scoring his eighth and ninth goals through four opening games, while Connor McDavid showed that his knee is just fine as he cut through the Vancouver Canucks defense for the game-winner late in Edmonton. Eight more games are on the schedule for tonight including Jacob Trouba‘s first test against his former club and a top tier matchup between the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche. As teams prepare, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the moves.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Victor Olofsson and Henri Jokiharju as expected, while sending Jean-Sebastien Dea, Curtis Lazar and Lawrence Pilut back to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. These moves had been done just as some cap gymnastics to get Buffalo the most room possible, and were always expected to be reversed before they start their season in Pittsburgh tonight.
- After keeping Timothy Liljegren on the opening night roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sent the top prospect back to the minor leagues. Liljegren was kept up for salary cap purposes, but will switch spots with the recently-waived Nic Petan today. Petan should serve as one of the extra forwards for the Maple Leafs that might rotate in, alongside Jason Spezza who was a healthy scratch last night.
- Manuel Wiederer has been assigned to the San Jose Barracuda, where he is expected to spend the season. The 22-year old forward suffered an upper-body injury earlier in the preseason, but is likely recovered enough to rejoin his teammates now that he has officially been sent down.
- With Sam Steel and Ondrej Kase being cleared ahead of tonight’s home opener, the Anaheim Ducks have opened up space on the roster by reassigning Isac Lundestrom and Max Comtois to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Lundestrom and Comtois, as well as Steel, a part of a large group of impressive young NHL-ready forwards pushing for ice time this season. This is certainly not the last you’ll hear of them this year.
Brandon Montour Out Another 3-4 Weeks
The Buffalo Sabres released an update on their injured players today, and while Zach Bogosian and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are still listed as out indefinitely as expected, Brandon Montour now has a timeline. The Sabres defenseman will be out for another three to four weeks after missing most of the preseason with a hand injury. That would rule Montour out for the majority of October and at least the first ten games of the regular season.
The 25-year old Montour came to Buffalo in a trade last season and impressed down the stretch, recording ten points in 20 games. That offensive upside that made Montour a top option for the Anaheim Ducks is exactly what the Sabres are hoping to unleash, especially as a natural fit with young phenom Rasmus Dahlin. This injury puts a hold on any potential Montour might have though as not only will he need to work hard to get back but in a month’s time he may find himself chasing the speed of the game after being off for so long.
Buffalo is hoping to silence their critics and compete in the Atlantic Division this season after re-signing Jeff Skinner to a huge deal and bringing in plenty of defensive depth, but an injury to Montour out of the gate won’t help. The team starts play tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Minor Transactions: 10/01/19
Teams all around the league are setting their opening day rosters to get cap compliant, while minor league clubs are still out finalizing their groups for the upcoming season. We’ll be right here to keep track of all those moves like always:
- The Buffalo Sabres have done some cap gymnastics today, sending Henri Jokiharju and Victor Olofsson to the minor leagues and recalling Curtis Lazar, Jean-Sebastien Dea and Lawrence Pilut. The team also placed Zach Bogosian, Matt Hunwick, Brandon Montour and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on injured reserve as expected. The moves are just salary-based, as Olofsson and Jokiharju are both still expected to be in the Sabres’ opening night lineup.
- The Laval Rocket have signed Kevin Lynch to a one-year AHL contract after he stood out as a potential option in training camp. Lynch, 28, missed all of last season due to injury but had 26 points in 57 games with the Syracuse Crunch in 2017-18.
- Former NHL goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis has left Dynamo Riga of the KHL after a mutual contract termination, leaving him free to sign with another team. The 27-year old goaltender had posted just an .863 save percentage through nine games this season.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19
Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (per team release)
F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)
Nashville Predators (per team release)
F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)
D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)
F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)