Minor Transactions: 01/08/18
Teams around the NHL are beginning their mandated bye weeks, marking an unofficial midpoint of the season. With that, there is only a single game on tap for tonight, between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. That won’t stop clubs from making minor moves to improve, and we’ll have all the recalls and reassignments right here.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled young defenseman Brendan Guhle and goaltender Linus Ullmark, an interesting move to say the least. The team was already at 23 players on the roster, meaning a corresponding move—be it injured reserve, waivers or loans—will be sure to follow shortly. Victor Antipin and Robin Lehner were both absent from practice due to minor ailments, and it’s not clear if they’ll miss any game action.
- The Chicago Blackhawks are giving Tomas Jurco another shot, recalling the forward while sending John Hayden back to the minor leagues. Jurco has played all season for the Rockford IceHogs, scoring 25 points in 36 games. The 25-year old was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last season but recorded just one point in his 13 games with the Blackhawks.
- Vinni Lettieri is on his way back to the minor leagues, reassigned by the New York Rangers. Lettieri scored two points in three games, but with the Rangers on their bye week will continue to see game action back with the Hartford Wolf Pack. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him back up before Saturday’s game against the Islanders.
- The St. Louis Blues have activated Vince Dunn from injured reserve, sending Jake Walman back to the AHL. Dunn was only out with the flu, and had his IR stint backdated to allow him to return so quickly. Walman, who still didn’t get into his first NHL game, will have to wait for another opportunity.
- Lee Stempniak has been activated off injured reserve for the Carolina Hurricanes, meaning Lucas Wallmark is heading back to the AHL. Wallmark scored his first NHL goal on December 30th, but will now return to the Charlotte Checkers where he 23 points in 20 games this season.
- Brendan Lemieux is back up with the Winnipeg Jets as Adam Lowry deals with an upper-body injury, meaning Tucker Poolman is headed back to the AHL. Poolman has looked sharp in limited minutes for the Jets, but with Dustin Byfuglien healthy and back in the lineup the team has their six defensemen pretty much set in stone. Lemieux on the other hand will try to force his way into the lineup after 24 points in 24 games for the Manitoba Moose this year.
Aho Listed As Day-To-Day
- NHL.com’s Michael Smith writes that after the Carolina Hurricanes consulted with doctors, they have listed winger Sebastian Aho as day-to-day with a lower-body injury after going down Saturday in a game against Boston. The 20-year-old Aho has been a key contributor for Carolina and has 13 goals and 20 assists, which would put him on pace for career-highs. They play next on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Lee Stempniak Resumes Skating
- Carolina winger Lee Stempniak has resumed skating as he continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury, notes Michael Smith of the Hurricanes’ team site (Twitter link). The veteran has yet to play this season as a result of injury issues; he was first dealing with hip trouble and while he recovered from that, he suffered the current upper-body injury while on a conditioning assignment in the minors. With the ‘Canes in a tough battle for a playoff spot, they could certainly use the secondary production that the 34-year-old is capable of providing.
Minor Transactions: 01/05/18
Last night was filled to the brim with hockey all across North America, with a dozen games in the NHL and a World Junior semi-final. There were some shocking finishes, with the Coyotes taking down the Predators and Canadiens icing the Lightning. Now, as we head into another weekend full of hockey, teams will be making minor changes to their rosters and we’ll keep track of everything right here.
- The Buffalo Sabres have sent Taylor Fedun back to the minor leagues, meaning he must be healthy enough to get back on the ice. Fedun hasn’t played since November due to a foot injury, and has just seven games in the NHL this year. The 29-year old is ticketed for the AHL until another few spots open up on the Buffalo blueline.
- Zac Dalpe and Dean Kukan are on their way back to the AHL again, another cap-saving measure for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they await their next game on Sunday. Columbus has been sending the pair down to get into some game action between Blue Jackets matches, allowing them to also bank some cap space for any potential moves at the deadline.
- Filip Chlapik has been reassigned to the Belleville Senators of the AHL, ending his short stint in Ottawa. The NHL Senators are getting Zack Smith back into the lineup tonight, and Chlapik needs to continue to play for his development. The 20-year old recorded one point, but is still looking for his first NHL goal.
- The St. Louis Blues have activated Samuel Blais from injured reserve and sent him to the minor leagues. Blais had been dealing with a lower body injury and has played just 22 games this season split between the Blues and San Antonio Rampage. The sixth-round pick will have to prove he’s back to full strength before getting another chance with the big club, who still haven’t found their optimal mix of forwards for the stretch run.
- After only two days on injured reserve, Marcus Kruger has been activated by the Carolina Hurricanes. Kruger’s IR stint could be retroactive to the last game he played on December 27th, but it will still mean and end to Aleksi Saarela’s first NHL call-up. Saarela didn’t get into a game, meaning he’ll have to wait for another chance to make his NHL debut.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have moved Jon Merrill to injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, making room for Luca Sbisa to be activated. Sbisa is expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, while it’s not clear how long Merrill will be out.
- The Arizona Coyotes have sent both Kyle Capobianco and Lawson Crouse to the minor leagues, with no corresponding moves given. The Coyotes don’t play until tomorrow night, and could activate Brad Richardson for the game after he returned to practice.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have also sent goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to the minor leagues to get a start, recalling Matiss Kivlenieks to stay complient in the NHL. Korpisalo will get into a game for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters to stay sharp, but should be recalled later this weekend.
Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?
In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?
As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:
- Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
- Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
- John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
- Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
- Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
- Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
- Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
- Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
- Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
- Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
- Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
- Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
- Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
- Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
- Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
- Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
- Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
- Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
- Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
- Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
- Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
- John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
- William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
- Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
- Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
- Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
- Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
- P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
- Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
- Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
- Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
- Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
- Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
- Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
- Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
- Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
Minor Transactions: 12/29/17
After another wild night in the NHL that saw the Vegas Golden Knights defeat their division rival Los Angeles Kings to secure top spot in the Pacific and second in the entire league, you can be sure there will be some roster movement. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves throughout the day right here. Make sure to refresh regularly.
- Gabriel Carlsson has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Columbus Blue Jackets, which could signal a return for Zach Werenski. Werenski had been skating as part of the scratch pair for a few days alongside Dean Kukan, who is the other option to enter the lineup in Carlsson’s absence. The Blue Jackets take on the struggling Ottawa Senators tonight.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Calvin Pickard from the minor leagues, announcing that Curtis McElhinney has a lower-body injury. McElhinney was the backup last night when the Maple Leafs took on the Arizona Coyotes and didn’t enter the game, but was expected to start in the second half of a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche tonight. Instead, it seems likely that Pickard will make his Maple Leafs debut against his old team.
- After recording an assist in his return to action for the the Iowa Wild last night, Zach Parise has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild. His conditioning stint was not expected to be very long, but he remains on long-term injured reserve as he continues to work his way back. It’s not clear when he’ll be activated by the Wild, but it was a good step towards recovery yesterday for the veteran forward.
- With Lee Stempniak not ready to go for the Carolina Hurricanes, the team has recalled Lucas Wallmark from the minor leagues. Wallmark played eight games for the club last season, but hasn’t yet suited up this year. In 20 AHL contests, Wallmark has 23 points and continues to prove that he can nearly score at will in the minor leagues.
- Dalton Prout, having cleared waivers, has been assigned to the minor leagues by the New Jersey Devils. Prout could be called back up in case of injury, but for now will need to ply his trade in the minor leagues.
- With Martin Hanzal dealing with a minor injury, the Dallas Stars have recalled Jason Dickinson from the AHL. Dickinson, 22, has played five games for the Stars this season but is still looking for his first point.
- Washington has once again sent Madison Bowey and Jakub Vrana to the minor leagues, but it is likely just a paper transaction. Both players have full-time roles with the Capitals, and are only sent down on off days as a cap saving measure.
Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Bruins’ Cup Hopes
An 8-1 rout of the Carolina Hurricanes was exactly what the slumping Maple Leafs needed. William Nylander was at the top of that list, needed a goal to break a long drought after being victimized by crossbars and posts. Nylander finally scored one, writes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, and it seemed to ease the tension for the young center who had only scored twice in the past 26 games. Fox adds that Nylander appeared ready to set the league ablaze in scoring, but is now only on pace for 12 goals. Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock, however, calls for pause:
“We think he has the skill to be a centre, to transport the puck, to make plays. The part that we haven’t seen is the ability to play without the puck in his own zone. I would bet you on every team, the majority of forwards were centres, probably eight of the 12. They come into the league and the best players on all the minor hockey league teams are often centres.
They come up and they end up on the wing and it takes a few years to figure out the league and learn how to play hard and how to play without the puck so you don’t spend the whole time just standing there watching the merry-go-round.”
Perhaps that much needed goal could get the young center back on track.
- ESPN’s crew of writers debated the chances that the Bruins have in making a strong push for a Stanley Cup run. Greg Wyshynski believes that the Nashville Predators serve as inspiration for a team that played on the fringe for awhile before playing stronger as of late. Wyshynski says the teams match up everywhere except in net, where he wonders if Tuukka Rask is capable of playing big like the Preds’ Pekka Rinne did last season for Nashville. Emily Kaplan agrees, believing that their 7-2 throttling of Columbus is an indication they’re truly a contender, but that depth is a concern. She also lauds Charlie McAuvoy as being as good as advertised. Chris Peters takes the dissent, saying that it will take a lot to get past Tampa, and even if they do, defeating a Metropolitan team would be a heavy task as well.
Vegas’ Fleury Expected To Return Tuesday
The Vegas Golden Knights have won three straight and are getting great play from backup goaltender Malcolm Subban, but Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp tweets that the team’s starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will return to the ice on Tuesday when Vegas hosts the Carolina Hurricanes.
Fleury has been out since Oct. 13 with a concussion after taking a knee from Detroit’s Anthony Mantha, which started a flurry of goaltending injuries and forced the team to go five goalies deep for quite a while. Subban took over after Fleury’s injury, but went down not long after with a lower-body injury. That forced the team to call up both their AHL goalies in Oscar Dansk and Maxime Lagace. Both also fared well, but Dansk went down and the team was forced to call up 2017 seventh-round pick Dylan Ferguson from his junior team on an emergency basis. Since then Subban has returned and played well as the team waited for Fleury to return.
The 33-year-old veteran and face of the franchise was cleared to return to practice on Wednesday. Some thought Fleury intended to return on Dec. 14, when the Golden Knights will host the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, he will make his return two days earlier. He has only played four games for the expansion franchise, posting a 3-1 record and a 2.48 GAA.
Bettman Addresses Seattle And Carolina
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media tonight, following the NHL Board of Governors meeting, and filled in many of the blanks regarding major league story lines in Seattle and Carolina. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Pierre LeBrun were among many in attendance to run through the long list of Bettman’s answers.
Following the recent approval by the city of Seattle to build a new arena in hopes of recruiting NHL and NBA teams to the city, there has been no bigger story around the league than the possibility of another expansion franchise in the near future. The proposal included a projected cost of $660MM to construct the arena, but according to Bettman, that will be only half the cost to join the NHL. Bettman confirmed this evening that the Board of Governors has agreed that they will accept an expansion application from the Seattle group, led by billionaire businessman David Bonderman, but that the board has set the expansion fee at $650MM, which is $150MM more than what Bill Foley and the Vegas Golden Knights just recently paid. Bettman clarified that the application also does not guarantee that a team will be placed in Seattle.
However, it certainly seems like a plan is in motion, with an eye on the 2020-21 season. Bettman specifically mentioned that the Seattle group may begin a ticket drive, similar to the one that found great success in Las Vegas. He also was clear that the league would not be accepting bids from any other cities, despite concrete interest from Quebec City and Houston among others. He also says that – as of now – there are no teams that the league sees as re-location candidates. The conference balance that the Seattle market would bring, in addition to a city with hockey history, seems to make Seattle a perfect market for expansion.
Speaking of re-location, the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going anywhere. Bettman confirmed the report that Tom Durndon has signed the purchase agreement to buy up the majority share of the ‘Canes from Peter Karmanos, but added the stern caveat that “this is not a team that will be moved.” Durndon will take on 52% of the team’s shares, with Karmanos holding on to 48% and Durndon having the option to buy the remaining shares over three years. The sale is not quite done yet, but should be in the books soon, with Durndon vowing to keep the team in Raleigh once he is in control.
Sale Of Carolina Hurricanes Nearing Completion
The NHL Board of Governors are meeting this week, and within the last few hours Carolina Hurricanes Owner Peter Karmanos and potential buyer Tom Dundon presented their plan of sale to the group. According to Gino Reda of TSN who spoke with the two men, a decision on the sale should be made by the afternoon. The NHL has previously made it clear that no sale would go through without a commitment that the team will stay in Carolina for the time being, something that Dundon was more than willing to accept. Relocation is not on the table at this time, despite some struggling attendance numbers in Raleigh.
Dundon, a billionaire from Dallas, could represent a financial boost for the Hurricanes as they look to enter their competitive window. Loaded with young talent all over the roster, the team has never spent much more than the cap floor since it was introduced. Obviously, a new owner doesn’t necessarily mean raised budgets but Dundon must see some money-making opportunity in the franchise.
Karmanos has been involved in hockey ownership since the late 1970’s and bought the Hartford Whalers franchise in 1994. He eventually moved the franchise to Carolina, and hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2006. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, he’ll remain as a minority owner with a 48-percent share of the team, while Dundon will hold an option to buy him out entirely after three years.
Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reports that the deal values the Hurricanes franchise at just under $500MM, well above Forbes’ recent valuation of $370MM.