Minor Transactions: 4/8/18
With the Eastern Conference still undecided until today’s final regular season game, the Western Conference has no questions as the Colorado Avalanche finished off the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 victory Saturday as they clinched the final playoff spot. The Nashville Predators got the top spot and will face the Avalanche. In other first-round matchups, the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks will face the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild will face the Winnipeg Jets.
- The New York Islanders announced they have assigned forward Tanner Fritz on loan to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to help their AHL affiliate, who have four games left in their season. The 26-year-old Fritz split time between both teams, putting up three goals and seven points for the Islanders in 34 games, while scoring 10 goals and 27 assists in 33 games for Bridgeport.
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forwards John Hayden, David Kampf, Andreas Martinsen, Victor Ejdsell, Jeff Glass and Jean-Francois Berube to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL for their playoff push.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they have assigned forwards Michael McCarron and Kerby Rychel as well as defenseman Brett Lernout to the AHL’s Laval Rocket to get some more playing time in before their season ends.
- The Buffalo Sabres have announced they will send eight players to the Rochester Americans of the AHL for their playoff run, including forwards Nicholas Baptiste, Alexander Nylander and Kevin Porter; defensemen Brendan Guhle, Casey Nelson and Matt Tennyson; and goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Adam Wilcox.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent four players to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for their upcoming playoff run, according to the AHL team. The Hurricanes assigned forwards Nicolas Roy, Valentin Zykov as well as defensemen Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown. It will be a change for Fleury who spent all but one game with Carolina this season, while Zykov put up solid numbers in the NHL with seven points in 10 games.
- With the Calgary Flames season over, the team has assigned three players to the Stockton Heat of the AHL to finish out their season. The team will return defenseman Rasmus Andersson, forward Spencer Foo and goaltender Jon Gillies. Andersson played 10 games for the Flames this year, while Foo scored two goals in four games. Gillies played 11 games for Calgary, putting up a 2.88 GAA.
- The Arizona Coyotes, according to CapFriendly, have sent four players back to the Tucson Roadrunners for their playoff run, including forward Dylan Strome and defensemen Dakota Mermis, Trevor Murphy and Joel Hanley. Strome showed some success at the NHL level, putting up four goals and nine points in 21 games this season.
- The Dallas Stars have joined the fray, reassigning defenseman Dillon Heatherington and goaltender Mike McKenna to the AHL’s Texas Stars as they continue their push toward the playoffs.
Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Boucher, Ristolainen, Zetterberg, Bertuzzi
There is just one game remaining on the NHL regular season schedule and the league schedulers picked a good one as the Boston Bruins will host the Florida Panthers today in the lone game. While many people thought the game would have significant meaning for the Panthers (Philadelphia’s victory Saturday officially eliminated Florida from the playoffs), it instead has an effect on Boston.
If the Bruins win, they will jump over the Tampa Bay Lightning as the top seed of the Eastern Conference and get home ice advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs. A win of any kind would give them a matchup with the New Jersey Devils. A loss will pit the Bruins against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team they have struggled with this year. The only known matchup in the Eastern Conference are the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Let’s face it, we were trying to find our own game and get to where we thought we were at the start of the year, which was definitely a playoff team,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy via NBC Sports Joe Haggerty. “We just didn’t know where we would fit, and the way Tampa got out of the gate, and Toronto for that matter, it was going to be an uphill battle. But here we are. We’re in a position to take it, and that’s a credit to the guys. We’ve worked hard to get here. This wasn’t by accident. We didn’t back in.”
- The Ottawa Senators, who ended up finishing in 30th place this season, must make a decision on their coaching situation. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen writes that Guy Boucher is in a strange situation as he did everything right a year ago at this time and has done little right since. The team’s defense and special teams were atrocious this year and need to get fixed. The question is, will it be Boucher or another coach? Garrioch says that even if Boucher survives, expect changes to the staff as last year is considered unacceptable.
- Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that the Buffalo Sabres need to make sweeping changes to avoid another dismal season next year, but unfortunately, the team has a lot of contracts with term which will be hard to move, so the team will need to be creative in trades. The defense has six players already under contract and few top-four players, citing that Rasmus Ristolainen is considered their No. 1 defenseman and he is no where even close to that. He will have four more years on his contract at $5.4MM AAV and has shown little improvement and isn’t the leader they hoped he would be.
- Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that Detroit Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg must decide whether he wants to keep playing. The 38-year-old still has three years left of the 12-year contract he signed in 2009 at $6.083MM AAV, but back then it was assumed players wouldn’t play the entire contract out. He’s logged over 1,000 and if he chooses to retire, the Red Wings would save $6MM in cap space if the team is able to place him on long-term injured reserve. St. James adds, however, that the veteran might want to come back for one more year as he is just 42 points away from reaching 1,000 points.
- St. James also tweets that the Red Wings have decided not to send forward Tyler Bertuzzi to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL for their playoff run. They believe Bertuzzi has done enough at the AHL level and want him to hit the gym and get stronger with a full offseason of workouts.
Florida’s Barkov Will Miss Final Two Regular Season Games
If the Florida Panthers have any hopes of reaching the playoffs, the first thing they have to do is win out. Being four points behind the Philadelphia Flyers, the Panthers have to win their final two games of the season and then get some help on top of that. However, the team’s chances of accomplishing this feat took a hit Saturday when the team announced that top center Aleksander Barkov will miss both games this weekend with a shoulder injury, according to Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel. He sustained the injury during the third period against the Bruins on Thursday.
Barkov has been a key piece to the Panthers improbable late run this season as the 22-year-old center has had a breakout year for Florida with 27 goals and 78 points. His absence won’t help the team’s chances of a much needed back-to-back wins over Buffalo tonight at home, followed with a challenging road trip to the Boston Bruins tomorrow. Barkov was just starting to put some points up as well for the team after a minor slump as he scored a goal in Thursday’s win over Boston and had two assists on Monday in their win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Del Franks added that Barkov could return for a potential playoff series if the team is able to clinch a playoff berth.
AHL Announces First, Second All-Star Teams
After announcing their All-Rookie team earlier this week, the AHL have now given us their choices for the first and second All-Star Teams for 2017-18. These players were voted in by coaches, players and media all across the league.
First All-Star Team:
Goaltender: Garret Sparks, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Defenseman: Jacob MacDonald, Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)
Defenseman: Sami Niku, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)*
Left Wing: Chris Terry, Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
Center: Phil Varone, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Right Wing: Mason Appleton, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)*
*Niku and Appleton were also named as part of the All-Rookie team.
Second All-Star Team:
Goaltender: Michael Hutchinson, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Defenseman: T.J. Brennan, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Defenseman: Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Left Wing: Andreas Johnsson, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Center: Austin Czarnik, Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
Right Wing: Ben Smith, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Of course, much of the fanfare will go to Niku and Appleton who were not only rookies but late-round draft choices. Their appearance on the list is so impressive, especially given the success of the Jets already graduated young core. With a pipeline of talent, Winnipeg should have a wide open window of contention.
Probably the most interesting name though is Hutchinson, as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. One has to wonder if he’ll get a crack at an NHL job, given his outstanding minor league season and reliatively successful experience at the highest level. He’s making $1.3MM this season, but could look for a larger opportunity elsewhere while Connor Hellebuyck, Steve Mason and Eric Comrie man the crease in Winnipeg.
Jacob Josefson Could Return To Sweden
When you’re an impending free agent on the league’s worst team, you think about your future a lot. When you’re an under-utilized and ineffective member of the league’s worst team, you begin to consider the limits on that future. Such is the case for Buffalo forward Jacob Josefson. With four points in 39 games for the Sabres, who hold a measly 25-42-12 record with three games remaining in the season, Josefson has been a non-factor for a team that has been begging for someone to break out all season long. Now, it seems that Josefson has recognized his ceiling as a professional hockey player and may return home to Sweden this off-season to continue his career.
Josefson, 27, was once a promising young player in the NHL. Drafted in the first round in 2009 by the New Jersey Devils out of Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, Josefson made the jump overseas in 2010 and recorded ten points in 28 games as a rookie. Josefson continued as a part-time player until 2014-15 when he would play 62 games with the Devils. He followed that up with a career-high 14 points in 2015-16. Yet, that campaign also came with a —21 rating. Frustrated that Josefson was nowhere close to the caliber of player they expected out of a first-rounder, New Jersey allowed him to walk in free agency last summer. The best deal that Josefson could scrounge up was a one-year, $700K contract with the Sabres. After another disappointing season, opportunities in the NHL are running out for the underwhelming two-way forward.
Yet, a new opportunity could be emerging with his old Swedish squad. Sweden’s Hockey News reports (link in Swedish) that Djurgardens has reached out to Josefson, a “dream acquisition”, and he is considering a return to where it all began. Josefson was a far more dynamic player as a teenager in Sweden than he ever was at any level in North America and would return home to much fanfare from his former team. However, if Josefson bails on the NHL this off-season, especially if there are offers out there, it would more than likely mark the end of his NHL career.
Injury Notes: Girgensons, Scherbak, Condon, Chychrun
Zemgus Girgensons‘ season is over, as the Buffalo Sabres announced today that he underwent facial surgery. No timeline has been released for his recovery, but one could assume he’ll be ready for next season. Girgensons will finish the season with 15 points in 71 games.
This has been another disappointing season for Girgensons, who was selected 14th-overall in 2012 as a potential power center capable of scoring and shutting down the opposition’s best. Unfortunately, the scoring has never come around and Girgensons has been limited to fewer than 20 points in the last three consecutive seasons. The 24-year old has one more season on his current contract, but could be moved if the Sabres look for drastic changes to their lineup this summer.
- Nikita Scherbak has suffered a concussion, though it’s not clear exactly when it happened. The Montreal Canadiens announced his injury this morning, telling reporters that he reported symptoms after his last game. That likely means he’s out for the rest of the season, and will have to wait until 2018-19 to make an impact for the club. The 22-year old has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but will end with just six points in 26 games.
- Speaking of concussions, the Ottawa Senators confirmed today that is injury that Mike Condon suffered in practice yesterday, meaning he won’t suit up again this season. Instead, Craig Anderson will play tonight in a battle for the bottom of the league. The Sabres could climb within one point of the Senators with a win, and Anderson certainly could cause just that. The 36-year old goaltender hasn’t had the season many expected, recording an .898 save percentage through 56 games.
- After suffering a brutal injury last night, Jakob Chychrun is likely done for the season. The Arizona Coyotes have just a pair of games remaining, and though head coach Rick Tocchet couldn’t give an update on the young defenseman he is “hoping for the best.” Chychrun was injured on a collision just behind his net last night, when Michael Frolik tripped him and sent his legs into the boards. The 19-year old defenseman already dealt with a knee injury last year that required surgery, but was able to return quickly from it and provide a stabilizing presence to the Coyotes blue line.
Buffalo Sabres Recall Alex Nylander From AHL
The Buffalo Sabres have little to play for over the last few games of the season, so they are going to give an opportunity to one of their young prospects. The team has recalled Alexander Nylander from the minor leagues, along with journeyman and Rochester Americans captain Kevin Porter.
Nylander, 20, was selected eighth-overall in 2016 but hasn’t yet been able to breakthrough like his older brother William Nylander. Dealing with injury and inconsistency, the younger Nylander has amassed 54 points in 113 AHL games, but still possesses extremely high offensive potential. The Sabres gave him a four-game recall at the end of last season as well, hoping to spark that potential and give the team another high-end scoring threat.
With Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart playing well, and Casey Mittelstadt deciding to turn pro, the Sabres have a talented young group to build around in the coming years. Adding Nylander to that mix is imperative after spending such a high draft pick on him. Perhaps this latest taste of the NHL will be enough to push Nylander over the edge and have him compete for a roster spot with the Sabres next fall.
Porter, 32, played two games in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year but is generally limited to minor league action at this point in his career. In 249 career NHL games Porter has just 58 points, but he has consistently produced in the AHL and currently sits third on the Americans in scoring. His call-up is likely just a reward for another good season in the minor leagues, where he is preparing for the playoffs once again.
Minor Transactions: 04/02/18
The NHL is down to the last week of the season, with all games scheduled to be wrapped up by Sunday night. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league and give context on how they could impact the playoff picture. Check back throughout the day to stay up to date on your favorite team.
- According to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled Matt Tennyson from the minor leagues to help replace the injured Victor Antipin. Antipin was knocked unconscious this weekend against the Nashville Predators, and won’t play again this season. Tennyson has played 14 games for the Sabres this season, though most of his work has come in the AHL. The 27-year old defenseman is still looking for his first NHL point of the season.
- Back and forth goes Oliver Kylington, who has been recalled once again by the Calgary Flames today. Kylington is still looking to get a chance at the NHL level, but the 20-year old defenseman has seen positive progression while in the minor leagues.
- Thatcher Demko is on his way back to the minor leagues, in time to help the Utica Comets with their playoff push. If the AHL playoffs started today, the Comets would have to dangerous Toronto Marlies in the first round, a matchup that would really test Demko and give him an opportunity to show he’s too good for the minor leagues.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Colby Cave from the minor leagues under emergency conditions, bringing up the forward once again. Cave made his NHL debut earlier this year, and could get back into the lineup if one of the injured players for Boston can’t play.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have swapped goaltenders, recalling Jeff Glass from the minor leagues and sending Collin Delia back down. Delia had a very interesting debut, suiting up after Anton Forsberg was injured, only to suffer an injury himself and relinquish the net to emergency goaltender Scott Foster. Delia has played at three different professional levels already this season, impressive for an undrafted goaltender out of Merrimack College.
- The Dallas Stars have reassigned Jason Dickinson to the minor leagues, giving him back to the Texas Stars for their playoff run. Texas will welcome him back with open arms, as Dickinson has 16 goals in just 36 games this season.
Injury Notes: Bruins, Suter, Johansson, Callahan, Antipin
For a team having the success that they have had, the Boston Bruins are also at the top of the Atlantic Division despite suffering through countless injuries throughout the season. While many of those players like David Backes and Patrice Bergeron have done a nice job of working their way back at different points in the season, the injuries continue to pile up.
The team lost defenseman Brandon Carlo to injury as he was taken off on a stretcher Saturday with a leg injury and while there is no official word on the specifics or the severity of the injury, NBC’s Joe Haggerty tweets that head coach Bruce Cassidy said it’s probably serious and it is likely that he could miss the playoffs. Add to that, veteran Riley Nash, who took a puck to his head in Saturday’s game. According to Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa, Nash required 40 stitches in and around his ear.
“You know what? That’s what it is this year and how it’s going to be,” said Bruce Cassidy (via Haggerty). “It’s become a bit of our fight song. We can do it with guys going in and out, and other guys stepping up. It’s worked out well in terms of how the guys have responded.”
On a positive note, the team got back winger Jake Debrusk, who kicked in two goals and an assist Saturday and veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara is playing today. However, the team is still without defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who could return Tuesday, according to Haggerty.
- StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan writes that Minnesota Wild veteran defenseman Ryan Suter will be out indefinitely after suffering a foot injury during Saturday’s game against Dallas. The 33-year-old went down during the second period when his foot awkwardly collided against the boards after taking a hit from the Stars’ Remi Elie. It’s another blow for the Wild, who had previously lost Suter’s partner Jared Spurgeon who went down with a hamstring injury more than two weeks ago. The Wild currently hold the third playoff spot in the Central Division, but need some key wins in the coming days to hold onto that spot. Suter averages 26:46 of ATOI, which is second in the NHL. He has six goals and 51 points, which is tied for his career-high.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have activated Marcus Johansson off of injured reserve Sunday. The winger has been out with a concussion since Jan. 23. He is expected to be in the lineup today with Montreal. After acquiring the 27-year-old from Washington in the offseason, Johansson has been plagued by injuries as he’s only appeared in 29 games for the Devils putting up five goals and nine assists this season.
- NHL.com’s Bryan Burns tweets that veteran winger and penalty killing specialist Ryan Callahan is expected to return today after being out with an upper body injury. The 33-year-old has missed the past five games since being injured on March 22 against Toronto. Callahan has four goals and 15 points in 63 games this season.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced the defenseman Victor Antipin has been diagnosed with a concussion after taking a hit Saturday from Nashville’s Scott Hartnell. He also suffered facial lacerations, a broken nose and dental injuries. He is out indefinitely.
Evening Notes: Updated Draft Odds, Keith
With the season winding down, and teams vying for the better odds of winning the Rasmus Dahlin sweepstakes, the Ottawa Senators took another step in upping their chances at the top pick by losing to Detroit 2-0 this afternoon. With just four games remaining, the Sens are tied with Arizona for the second worst record in the NHL with 65 points. Buffalo still has the best shot at securing the rights for the first overall pick. The NHL released the odds two days ago and with several teams within a few points of one another, the “tank-a-thon” race could be the matter of a few points as opposed to Colorado’s historically bad season in 2016-17. As it stands, here are the odds for the ten worst teams through Saturday evening. Vancouver won in overtime, blowing a 4-1 lead late but still notching two points, which moved them from a 9.5% chance to 8.5%. Please note that Arizona, Buffalo, New York (Rangers and Islanders), Edmonton, and Montreal all play tonight, which could alter the landscape a bit.
Buffalo (18.5%) – 60 points – 5 games remaining
Ottawa (13.5%) – 65 points – 4 games remaining
Arizona (11.5%) – 65 points – 4 games remaining
Montreal (9.5%) – 68 points – 5 games remaining
Vancouver (8.5%) – 69 points – 3 games remaining
Detroit (7.5%) – 71 points – 3 games remaining
Chicago (6.5%) – 74 points – 3 games remaining
NY Islanders (6.0%) – 74 points – 4 games remaining
Edmonton (5.0%) – 74 points – 4 games remaining
NY Rangers (3.5%) – 75 points – 4 games remaining
- The Chicago Blackhawks are going to miss the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, and some of that has to do with the Hawks inability to score goals. Duncan Keith has seen his share of struggles and is on pace to set an NHL record for the wrong reasons writes the Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus. After taking 183 shots on net this season, Keith has only gotten the puck past a netminder once. Though his goal scoring has dropped off since he potted 10 back in 2014-15 when Chicago captured the Stanley Cup, nobody saw Keith’s performance going off the rails quite like this. Lazerus writes that if Keith doesn’t score in the final three games, Keith will set the NHL record for lowest non-zero shooting percentage. Lazerus adds that while Keith has been far and away the best defenseman for Chicago this season, he’s even fallen away from what has been his best play. Lazerus attributes this to being one of the only true top four defenseman on the team, something that has bogged down the two-time Norris Trophy winner.