Sabres Expect Decision From Casey Mittelstadt By The End Of The Week
- The Sabres expect to get a better idea of winger Casey Mittelstadt’s plans by the end of the week, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Buffalo is hopeful that he will be willing to turn pro instead of going back to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore year and might be willing to burn the first year of his entry-level deal now in order to get him to sign. It will be interesting to see if today’s earlier news of long-time head coach Don Lucia departing the Golden Gophers will play a role in Mittelstadt’s decision.
NCAA Notes: Lucia, Canucks, Lindgren
It’s the end of an era for the University of Minnesota, as head coach Don Lucia has stepped down after 19 years with the program. Those years included back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003, and guiding a long pipeline of talent to professional hockey. Superstar talents like Blake Wheeler and Phil Kessel played under Lucia during their time at Minnesota, and most recently top prospect Casey Mittelstadt has taken huge strides under his guidance.
Though obviously the program will continue without Lucia, it is interesting to watch what Mittelstadt does this summer. The Buffalo Sabres have already reached out about potentially signing the 19-year old phenom, and the departure of the legendary coach could impact his decision. If Mittelstadt feels ready for professional hockey, perhaps this is the last straw that pushes him to sign his entry-level deal and join Jack Eichel in Buffalo next season. Either way, this will be a huge change for the Golden Gophers, who were the highest ranked team not to make it into the NCAA tournament this season.
- Another one of those changes could be in the form of Ryan Lindgren, who according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post is considering turning pro now that the Minnesota season is over. Lindgren was acquired by the New York Rangers as part of the Rick Nash trade earlier this year, but was always expected to return to Minnesota for another year. Perhaps the depature of Lucia has affected those plans, though Brooks is clear to point out that the defenseman is just weighing his options at this point. If the Rangers can coax Lindgren out of college, he would be another solid addition to a young prospect group that is quickly positioning New York for future success.
- The Vancouver Canucks have been mining the NCAA ranks for talent recently, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports they have their eyes on two more players. Brady Keeper from the University of Maine and Colton Poolman from the University of North Dakota are both expected to take part in Vancouver’s development camp this summer according to Dhaliwal. The defensemen are both undrafted and can still return to school if they can’t find a professional contract this offseason. The college ranks are giving more and more talent to the NHL every season, and players like Keeper and Poolman could be diamonds in the rough.
Minor Transactions: 03/19/18
Another week has passed in the NHL and we’re down to the final ten games for most of the teams around the league. With just a few weeks left teams like St. Louis and Los Angeles are still fighting for their playoff lives while others like Detroit and Vancouver are doing their best to secure a top draft pick. We’ll likely see several young players make their debuts this week, while other teams will welcome back some injured veterans just in time for the playoffs. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- Filip Chlapik is back up in Ottawa, as the Senators have recalled 20-year old forward and assigned Jim O’Brien back to the minor leagues. Chlapik is still looking for his first NHL goal after 10 games with the big club this season, but does have 30 points in 50 games during his rookie season in the AHL. The second-round pick will be in competition for a full-time job on the team at camp next season, and can give himself a leg up by playing well down the stretch.
- The Buffalo Sabres have completed a paper transaction for Justin Bailey, who was only sent down to the minor leagues yesterday. Bailey is back up with the club after being recalled today, and should stay in the lineup for the time being. Bailey, 22, has four points in 10 games for the Sabres this season.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Garret Sparks back to the AHL, likely indicating that Frederik Andersen will return for Tuesday’s game against the Lightning. Andersen is on track to return after a short injury period, along with star forward Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs will welcome back their best two players while on a four-game winning streak, but still sit five points behind the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division.
- Similarly, Charlie Lindgren has been sent back to the AHL now that Carey Price is set to return for the Montreal Canadiens. Though Price won’t start right away, his return to health means Lindgren had to go back as he was on an emergency recall.
- After the latest injury to Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop, the team has recalled Mike McKenna once again. Dallas is struggling to stay in the playoff picture in the Western Conference, and will now have to rely on Kari Lehtonen once again to get them into the postseason.
- Tristan Jarry has been sent back to the AHL, meaning Matt Murray will be ready to go for the Pittsburgh Penguins in short order. Murray hasn’t played in nearly a month, but could give the team a huge boost heading into the postseason. For now, Casey DeSmith will remain as the other goaltender in Pittsburgh, though Jarry could be recalled at any time.
- Dillon Simpson has been recalled under emergency conditions for the Edmonton Oilers, which could result in the 25-year old’s first NHL games of the season. Simpson has played the entire year at the AHL level, recording 17 points in 56 games. A fourth-round pick, Simpson hasn’t ever been able to crack the Oilers lineup full-time.
- Tim Heed is up once again for the San Jose Sharks, who have also activated Joel Ward from injured reserve today. Ward hasn’t played since February 8th, and could be a big boost to the bottom-six for a San Jose team looking ready to compete for the Stanley Cup once again. The Sharks sit second in the Central Division after their latest four-game win streak, and could be one of the toughest outs in the Western Conference once the playoffs begin.
- The Calgary Flames have recalled Rasmus Andersson, but find themselves in an opposite situation from the Sharks. Calgary has gone 3-6-1 in their last ten games and find themselves out of the playoff picture. Though they’re not out of it entirely, they need a spark to turn things around immediately.
Kyle Okposo Expected To Play Monday, Zemgus Girgensons Listed As Day-To-Day
- The Sabres are set to get winger Kyle Okposo back in their lineup on Monday night, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Although he was diagnosed with a concussion, he will only wind up missing three games as a result. However, the news isn’t all good for Buffalo. While Okposo will be returning, they are expected to be without winger Zemgus Girgensons who has been listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Minor Transactions: 3/18/18
The Tampa Bay Lightning look to bounce back from a shutout loss to the injury-riddled Boston Bruins, the Vegas Golden Knights try to right the ship after a 4-5-1 run, the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers jockey for playoff positions, and the St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks, and Calgary Flames look to stay alive in the postseason picture as the NHL provides a slate of eight intriguing games today. Here is how teams are preparing:
- The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned Justin Bailey to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. However, beat writer John Vogl indicates that it could be short-term. Bailey owes the AHL a one-game suspension, which he will serve tonight, but Vogl expects he could be back up with the Sabres on Monday. Buffalo is far outside the playoff picture and should be playing as many of their young players as possible down the stretch.
- With Carter Rowney dealing with injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Josh Jooris on an emergency basis. Jooris was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes at the deadline in an exchange for Greg McKegg, but was not expected to play much of a role for Pittsburgh. Yet, he’s already played in two games for the Penguins and could take on a regular role on the fourth line moving forward.
- CapFriendly tweets the Colorado Avalanche have activated forward Vladislav Kamenev off of injured reserve and is already playing with the team’s fourth line Sunday. Kamenev, who broke his arm in November one NHL after he was traded from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade, has only played 17 AHL games between Milwaukee and San Antonio, putting up three goals and 13 assists. He had been on a conditioning loan with San Antonio for the past week.
- CapFriendly reported that the San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Tim Heed from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL after being sent down Tuesday. Heed has served as a spare defenseman for most of the season for the Sharks as he’s played in 29 games this year, having put up three goals and eight assists.
Minor Transactions: 03/14/18
We saw a few more hat tricks last night, as both David Pastrnak and J.T. Miller lit the lamp three times, though the latter couldn’t overcome the Ottawa Senators’ offensive onslaught. Will we see another performance like that tonight in one of the five games on the schedule? As you prepare to watch some hockey tonight, make sure to check back right here where we’ll be keeping track of all the minor moves around the league.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Justin Bailey, bringing up the 22-year old forward after just a few days in the minors. Bailey has four points in eight games for the Sabres this season, and is expected to be a real contributor down the road. His development is something to watch for frustrated Sabres fans over the remaining few weeks.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Dillon Heatherington as they deal with injuries suffered last night. Marc Methot was hit by a shot and had to leave the game after just 7:32 of ice time, but there is no word on how long he’ll be out. Heatherington had one point in five games earlier this season when Methot was dealing with a knee injury, and could be asked to step back in if needed.
- After coming up yesterday under emergency conditions, Calle Rosen has been sent back to the minor leagues. The Toronto Maple Leafs had brought Rosen up as Nikita Zaitsev and Travis Dermott were dealing with illnesses, but will not need his services after all. Dermott returned to the Maple Leafs’ optional skate this morning and should play tonight against the Stars.
- The Ottawa Senators have sent Erik Burgdoerfer back down, even after recording his first NHL point last night. The 29-year old defenseman is nothing more than a depth piece for the Senators at this point.
- As the Pittsburgh Penguins start to get healthier up front, they’ve sent Josh Jooris back to the minor leagues to help Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Jooris played just five minutes in Sunday’s game, given just nine shifts through the entire match.
NCAA Notes: Mittelstadt, Belpedio, Hillman
After an impressive rookie season in the collegiate ranks, and an MVP performance at the World Junior Championships, Casey Mittelstadt has staked a claim as one of the best prospects in hockey. His latest accomplishment is being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and will soon have to decide whether or not to become a professional or return to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore season.
Though he gives no pretense of inside knowledge, Mike Morreale of NHL.com believes there is a “good chance” that Mittelstadt turns pro next season, something that will come as music to the ears of Buffalo Sabres fans. Buffalo has struggled through another terrible season, and will have a good shot at drafting Rasmus Dahlin or one of the other top names this June. Mittelstadt’s appearance on the NHL squad would give them another piece to build around, and someone to support Jack Eichel and company in their quest for the playoffs.
- Louis Belpedio doesn’t have a decision to make over whether or not to turn pro this summer, but instead how long he’ll wait before doing it. After completing his senior season at Miami University (Ohio), the Minnesota Wild draft pick could delay signing until August when he would become an unrestricted free agent. Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that scenario seems unlikely at this point, as the two sides are moving towards a two-year entry-level contract. Belpedio scored 30 points in 37 games during his senior season, and could be a useful piece of the Minnesota defense in the coming years.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) also gives us a long in-depth profile on Blake Hillman, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect who looks ready to turn pro in the coming weeks. Powers believes Hillman will “likely sign after this season” and even his head coach at the University of Denver Jim Montgomery seems to agree. Montgomery called Hillman “extremely close to being ready” for his pro transition, meaning Blackhawks fans could see another legitimate NHL prospect enter the system before long.
Minor Transactions: 03/13/18
The entire hockey world was watching last night as the league’s top two goal scoring talents went up against each other in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy. Though Patrik Laine is quite the challenger, Alex Ovechkin showed once again why he is regarded as one of the greatest of all-time. Ovechkin scored two, including the 600th of his career, just the fourth player in history to do so in fewer than 1,000 games.
As the league sends out congratulations to Ovechkin for his impressive accomplishment, they’ll continue to try and make minor tweaks to their roster to take him down once again in the postseason. We’ll keep track of all the minor transactions right here.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Linus Ullmark from the minor leagues in time for today’s practice. Ullmark is the future in goal for the Sabres, as both Robin Lehner (RFA) and Chad Johnson (UFA) are free agents this summer. Lehner will bring quite an expensive price tag, and has struggled at times this season.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Andreas Johnsson to the NHL for the first time in his career. The young forward has been the best player on the Toronto Marlies for most of the season, and has earned a taste of the next level after the Marlies clinched a playoff spot on the weekend. Calle Rosen has also been recalled under emergency conditions, meaning the sickness Nikita Zaitsev has been suffering from could be more serious than expected.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have assigned Anthony Stolarz to their ECHL team today, which could mean that the goaltender is ready to get into some games finally. Stolarz has been ravaged by injuries for the last year, but remains an interesting option for the Flyers going forward. His 6’6″ frame and relatively good performance at the AHL level shows some potential, but he’ll have to stay healthy and prove that he’s ready for a full workload.
- Interestingly, the Tampa Bay Lightning have assigned Louis Domingue to the minor leagues now that Peter Budaj is healthy enough to play again. Domingue played well in his short stint as the backup for Andrei Vasilevskiy, but will now wait in Syracuse for another opportunity.
- Ville Husso is on his way back down after backing up Jake Allen for the St. Louis Blues yesterday, meaning Carter Hutton is likely ready to return. The Blues play again on Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche, in a very important game if they have any hope of making a charge at the playoffs.
- The Washington Capitals have decided that Madison Bowey is better off playing for the Hershey Bears than sitting in the press box, and have assigned the defenseman to the AHL. Bowey had been sitting out since the team acquired Michal Kempny and Jakub Jerabek at the deadline, and needs to get back into game action. The 22-year old looks like a big part of the future of the Washington blue line, and will likely be back up if they face any injuries down the stretch.
- Ryan Sproul is on his way up to the New York Rangers, as the team deals with an injury to Anthony DeAngelo and a setback in Kevin Shattenkirk‘s recovery. Sproul has played just four games in the NHL this season, but once again has shown his offensive ability in the minor leagues with 29 points in 49 games.
Latest On Carolina GM Search
We’ve heard several names linked to the vacant Carolina Hurricanes GM role, but Bob McKenzie of TSN reports on another. Steve Greeley, the assistant GM of the Buffalo Sabres and well-traveled front office member has been interviewed by the club. Greeley has experience in scouting, player personnel and coaching, spending time with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Boston University in the past.
The search for the next Hurricanes GM is an interesting one, as the new executive will have to report directly to owner Thomas Dundon. Ron Francis was moved out of the role recently and into one as President of Hockey Operations, despite his work creating a pipeline of young talent. Unfortunately, that talent hasn’t shown much improvement in the standings, as Carolina is set to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight time without a late season push.
Most of the names interviewed in Carolina seem to be those who have never been general manager of an NHL team, but are all expected to be given the opportunity at some point. The Hurricanes might just be that chance as they try to find a fresh outlook for a team that has stagnated in the middle of the standings. Whether the answer is Greeley isn’t clear, but they will certainly check in on every possibility before making a decision.
Minor Transactions: 3/11/18
With a busy 11-game schedule Saturday, the NHL has a lighter schedule today with just four games. With all the injuries, many teams will look to make moves to shore up their roster for the upcoming week.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Andrew Campbell to Tucson of the AHL. Strome, the Coyotes third-overall pick in the 2015 draft, has had trouble finding a role with the Coyotes so far as he has just one goal and no assists in 11 NHL games, but has been dominant with the Roadrunners. He has 22 goals and 27 assists in 44 games with Tucson. Campbell was recalled last Sunday as an emergency while defenseman Alex Goligoski was with his wife, waiting for the birth of their child. He did not appear in a game. Center Dylan Strome was recalled on an emergency basis at the same time but later in the day, the team announced that that recall was cancelled.
- The St. Louis Blues have announced they have assigned goaltender Ville Husso, forward Samuel Blais, and defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Husso had been recalled on Thursday as an emergency replacement for goaltender Carter Hutton, who injured his neck, but Husso did not see any playing time. Butler was recalled Saturday as an emergency defenseman, but wasn’t needed. Blais, who has been out with a concussion, skated Thursday and might be ready to play with San Antonio. The 21-year-old has three points in 11 games with St. Louis.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced they have assigned forwards Justin Bailey and Daniel O’Regan to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Both players, who have been shuttled back and forth recently between the two teams, are likely being sent down with a four-game break coming up for the Sabres. Buffalo doesn’t play again until Thursday against Toronto. Bailey, the team’s second-round pick in 2013, scored a goal in Saturday’s game against Vegas, but only picked up 8:39 minutes of ice time. O’Regan, acquired in the Evander Kane trade at the trade deadline, has not picked up a point yet in two games with San Jose. The 24-year-old only got 10:19 of ice time Saturday.
- As reported yesterday, the Colorado Avalanche officially assigned forward Vladislav Kamenev to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL last night, according to CapFriendly. Kamenev, who came over to the Avalanche from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade, broke his arm on his first game with Colorado. He is ready to get some playing time in San Antonio and could be recalled once he’s back in game shape.
- As reported yesterday, the Calgary Flames officially announced they have activated goaltender Mike Smith and have assigned goaltender Jon Gillies to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Smith has been out of the lineup since Feb. 11 with a groin injury and has been listed as day-to-day for weeks. However, he is expected to start today. The return is critical for Calgary who is fighting for a playoff spot. Smith, an all-star this year, has a 2.53 GAA, but more importantly, a .921 save percentage in 47 games for the Flames. The 24-year-old Gillies struggled in limited playing time for Calgary as he played in seven games, putting up a 2.78 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
- The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled goaltender Spencer Martin from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL to serve as an emergency backup after Jonathan Bernier was hit in the head with a puck during Saturday’s game. He had already missed several weeks due to concussion symptoms. Martin has had to fill in due to multiple injuries to both Bernier and Andrew Hammond. Martin hasn’t appeared in a game for Colorado, but has a 3.05 GAA and a .895 in 31 appearances with the Rampage.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled winger Valentin Zykov, per a team release. He has yet to play with the ‘Canes this season but has been productive at the AHL level with 30 goals in 57 games which leads their affiliate in Charlotte.