Minor Transactions: 12/24/18
Though teams cannot technically complete any minor transaction today given the full roster freeze for Christmas, some moves from last night are still coming through the wire. Teams have cleared off any players that they can in order to bank extra cap space, given that they won’t be playing again until Thursday at the earliest. We’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here:
- John Quenneville has been sent down to the minors by the New Jersey Devils, and it will be interesting to see if he returns to them after the freeze is lifted. Seeing limited minutes with the Devils, the 22-year old still hasn’t been able to carve out a specific role for himself. It’s now been nearly two years since his last NHL point, a frustrating notion for both Quenneville and the Devils who invested a first-round pick in him several years ago.
- The Los Angeles Kings have sent Michael Amadio, Daniel Brickley and Sean Walker to the minor leagues to bank cap space, something they’ve been doing all season long. The Kings are using long-term injured reserve space to stay cap compliant, but with Carl Hagelin expected back at some point in the new year the team is going to have to clear some salary eventually.
- Clark Bishop and Janne Kuokkanen have been sent down for a similar reason, though in the Carolina Hurricanes case it’s more to save actual money than cap space. Both players earn a significantly lower salary while in the minor leagues on their two-way deals, something the fiscally conscious Hurricanes have to be aware of.
- Brandon Pirri was returned by the Vegas Golden Knights, something that certainly isn’t because of his play. The offensive-minded Pirri has three goals and four points in his first three Golden Knights games, and saw 16 minutes of ice time on Sunday night against the Kings. He’ll likely be recalled at some point to inject some more offense, though it’s important to note that Vegas still did lose two of those three games.
- Michael Bunting and Adin Hill are going down to the Tucson Roadrunners, another salary saving move by the Arizona Coyotes. Hill’s season is very interesting, given his solid performance and the goaltending situation in Arizona. The team still has Darcy Kuemper and Calvin Pickard, but still seems to want to keep Hill in the mix at the NHL level. The 22-year old goaltender will likely be back up before long.
- The Toronto Marlies have a game on Boxing Day, and could very well have one of their best forwards back in the lineup. The Maple Leafs have sent Trevor Moore back down for the time being, though with Zach Hyman and Tyler Ennis out he’ll likely be back up before long.
Jordan Staal Dealing With Another Head Injury
- Carolina center Jordan Staal is dealing with a head injury, notes Michael Smith of the Hurricanes’ team website. The injury kept him out of today’s game against Boston as well. The veteran just returned to the lineup this week after missing five contests due to a concussion so this is clearly some cause for concern. There’s no word yet if he’ll be available to return for their first game back after the holiday break on Thursday.
Minor Transactions: 12/21/18
Just three games grace the NHL schedule tonight, but there will still be plenty of intrigue when the upstart Buffalo Sabres take on the defending Stanley Cup champions. Buffalo is off to a great start after retooling their roster, but will be in tough against the Washington Capitals as they look to repeat on the back of Alex Ovechkin. While the rest of the league sits and waits for Saturday night, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- Late last night the Colorado Avalanche recalled Anton Lindholm from the minor leagues, giving the team another option while Nikita Zadorov deals with injury. Lindholm played 48 games for the club last season but has yet to suit up for an NHL contest this time around. In 20 games for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, Lindholm has five points.
- After Jordan Staal and Micheal Ferland were healthy enough to play last night for the Carolina Hurricanes, the team has assigned Clark Bishop back to the minor leagues. Carolina plays the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night, but could keep their roster at just 12 forwards if everyone is healthy enough to play.
- Michael Bunting has been recalled by the Arizona Coyotes, giving them another forward option while the freeze is in place. Bunting was sent down just a few days ago, but he’ll try to work his way back into the NHL lineup and prove he should be kept around even after the holiday season is over.
- Michael Amadio, Austin Wagner and Sean Walker are back in Los Angeles, bounced between leagues again to help the Kings save some cap room. The three waiver-exempt players will continue to shuffle between leagues for the time being without actually making the trip, giving the team some more deadline space that may be needed down the line.
- Buddy Robinson‘s NHL tenure didn’t last long, as the 6’6″ forward was sent back down to the Stockton Heat today. Robinson failed to get into a game with the Calgary Flames during his short call-up, but will remain an option for them moving forward.
Jordan Staal Activated From Injured Reserve
The Carolina Hurricanes are getting one of their key forwards back, as Jordan Staal has been activated from injured reserve. Staal suffered a concussion earlier this month, and has not played since December 5th.
Carolina now finds themselves in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, and have scored more goals than just the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes. Offense continues to be a problem for the club, and it is not clear how much Staal’s return will really help that. The defensive center has just five goals and 11 points on the season through 27 games, and is now coming back off a two week layoff. The youngest of the three NHL Staal brothers is now 30, and is still waiting to match his career-high of 29 goals scored back as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, he has only broken 20 goals once in the last six seasons and isn’t on track to do it this year.
Staal is however the Hurricanes’ highest paid player, meaning he carries a lot of the burden among the forward group. While Sebastian Aho is almost sure to take over that mantle with his next contract, for now the Carolina management group needs more out of their big center. With four more seasons on his deal with a full no-movement clause, Staal is destined to be in Carolina through thick and thin—and an expansion draft where he will require protection.
Minor Transactions: 12/19/18
Today is the final day before the holiday roster freeze comes into effect, though there can still be some movement afterwards. Teams are allowed to recall players during the next two weeks, and can also send down any player recalled after December 11th. That would include anyone called up today, meaning we’ll keep our eye on all the minor moves around the league.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Luke Johnson from the minor leagues while putting Marcus Kruger on injured reserve with a concussion. Kruger suffered the injury last night when he was hit by Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman, and will be out indefinitely. Johnson meanwhile returns to the Blackhawks after playing 13 games with the club earlier in the season.
- Phil Varone is on his way back to the minor leagues, loaned from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms today. Varone has played four games for Philadelphia this season but has been held scoreless in each. The veteran forward is a dominant AHL player though, and has 28 points in 22 games for the Phantoms after posting a 70-point season in 2017-18.
- The Arizona Coyotes have sent goaltender Adin Hill and forward Conor Garland back to the minor leagues, though with no corresponding moves yet one or two could be back up quickly. Since Hill and Garland were both originally recalled before December 11th, they would not be able to be sent down during the freeze. Now they will be able to freely move up and down throughout, allowing them to get into game action should Arizona activate some of their injured players.
- The same tact might be taking place in Los Angeles, where Michael Amadio, Sean Walker and Austin Wagner have all been sent down to the AHL. Again, all three players had been recalled prior to December 11th, meaning this move is likely only to create some roster flexibility through the roster freeze.
- In Vegas however, the Golden Knights have recalled Brandon Pirri and had him at practice today with the club. Pirri has been dominating the minor leagues once again, and with Max Pacioretty headed to the injured reserve, the team needed another forward. The 27-year old Pirri once scored 22 goals in just 49 games for the Florida Panthers, but has struggled to find consistent work in the NHL since. This year for the Chicago Wolves, he has 41 points in 28 games and has looked far too capable for the AHL.
- Thomas Hickey has been moved to injured reserve, giving the New York Islanders roster room to recall Devon Toews. The 24-year old Toews has yet to make his NHL debut but is a leader for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers all over the ice. The defenseman has 86 points through 130 minor league games since being a fourth-round pick in 2014, and could give the Islanders a decent puck-moving presence going forward.
- Another Los Angeles Kings player is on his way down, but this time it’s for a conditioning stint. Jack Campbell has been sent to the minor leagues to continue his rehab, an important step on his recovery process from a meniscus injury earlier this year. Campbell is still on injured reserve for the time being.
- Clark Bishop is on his way back to the NHL, as the Charlotte Checkers announced that the rookie forward has been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes. Bishop, 22, was a fifth-round pick and was never much of an offensive force in his junior years. The two-way center even split his first pro season between the AHL and ECHL. However, Bishop has worked hard and is now a regular call-up for Carolina in his third season. Bishop has two points in 15 games for the ‘Canes this year.
Martin Necas Loaned To Czech World Junior Team
Another game-changing talent has been loaned to the Czech Republic for the upcoming World Junior Championship, as Martin Necas has officially been sent by the Carolina Hurricanes. Necas has been playing in the minor leagues, but will join his countrymen in Vancouver for the tournament and likely play a huge role for the Czech team. Last year, Necas tied for the tournament lead in scoring with 11 points.
The Czech team had already announced that Necas would be part of the team, but until the Hurricanes actually loaned him there they had no say in whether he could attend. Now that he is part of it though, the 19-year old center should form a deadly forward unit with other top options like Filip Zadina, Martin Kaut and Filip Chytil (who hasn’t technically been loaned yet). All four were big parts of the team last year and should be extremely tough to handle throughout the tournament.
Though they were unable to medal last year, the Czech team is not one to sleep on in this time around. With several players who have already made their NHL debuts, and a goaltender like Jakub Skarek that is having an excellent season in the Finnish Liiga, the team could catch fire at any moment. Necas, who has 22 points in 26 games for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, will be a huge part of any success.
Minor Transactions: 12/16/18
Alex Ovechkin scored again for the Washington Capitals last night, his seventh goal in his last three games and likely a spot on the Three Stars list this week. The superstar forward now has 29 goals in 32 games this season and is setting new career highs of one sort or another nearly every night. Now 33, Ovechkin sits 15th all-time in NHL goals and could very well pass Dave Andreychuk in the next few games. While we wait to see his next trick, stick right here to follow all the minor moves around the league.
- The New York Rangers recalled Boo Nieves last night in preparation of their afternoon tilt with the Vegas Golden Knights today. Nieves has seven points in 12 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, but has yet to make his NHL debut this season. The 24-year old has just 29 games under his belt at this level and is still looking for a real opportunity to show what made him a second-round pick in 2012.
- After the team’s 4-3 overtime loss to Vegas Sunday, the Rangers made more moves as they announced they have recalled goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the Hartford Wolf Pack, while assigning Matt Beleskey and Dustin Tokarski to the AHL team. Georgiev has split time between the Rangers and Hartford, but the 22-year-old has struggled in both places so far this year. Beleskey has appeared in four games this month and has a goal, while Tokarski has yet to make an appearance for the Rangers this season.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer and Stefan Elliott to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. That likely suggests that Ottawa is close to getting back Mark Borowiecki and/or Dylan DeMelo back from injury. Burgdoerfer appeared in three games on this callup, while Elliott appeared in two games and had an assist.
- After the team’s 3-0 victory over Arizona today, the Carolina Hurricanes have assigned three players to the AHL as the team announced that goaltender Scott Darling and forwards Clark Bishop and Janne Kuokkanen have been returned to the Charlotte Checkers. With Carolina not playing again until Thursday, the team may just be giving playing time to all three, although the team might also have the hope that Micheal Ferland, Jordan Staal and Curtis McElhinney might all be healthy enough to play then.
- The Minnesota Wild have returned winger Luke Kunin to Iowa of the AHL, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. He played in three games with Minnesota after being recalled earlier in the week, averaging just shy of 13 minutes per night of playing time. However, with both Mikko Koivu and Jason Zucker expected to return on Tuesday, there’s no longer a spot in the lineup for Kunin. He’ll return to Iowa where he sits fifth in scoring with 15 points in 21 games.
Dundon: Hurricanes Won't Draft A Defenseman In The First Round As Long As He's Around
The Hurricanes have taken defensemen in the first round in three of the last five drafts (Haydn Fleury, Noah Hanifin, and Jake Bean) and have amassed plenty of depth at that position in recent years. Speaking with Lauren K. Ohnesorge of the Triangle Business Journal (subscription required), team owner Thomas Dundon indicated that the team will not be drafting blueliners with their top picks as long as he’s in charge:
Considering Carolina’s defensive depth, it’s certainly understandable that they wouldn’t be looking to take a rearguard early on for a few years at least but it’s rare that anyone would come out and make a proclamation regarding draft strategy like this. It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes instead look to stockpile some extra picks later in the draft to use on defenders or if they simply look to fill those spots through trades and free agency down the road.
Poll: Which Defenseman Is Most Likely Traded This Season?
The NHL holiday transaction freeze is just a few days away, and while there is an increased level of chatter among league front offices in comparison to recent years, there’s no guarantee any blockbuster trades are made. Those could very well wait for after the freeze is lifted at the end of December, and in the following two months before the 2019 trade deadline.
Like every year, contenders are looking for defense. Teams like Toronto and Edmonton led by superstar forwards, could use an upgrade in their own end. Unlike most years though, there may be several high-end defensemen available. What is usually an extreme shortage may actually be in ripe supply this year, and Colton Parayko could be the crown jewel. Parayko leads Frank Seravalli’s latest Trade Bait board for TSN, despite much of the speculation around St. Louis focusing on Alex Pietrangelo instead.
Parayko is an obvious target if he is truly available, given his age and immense upside. Everyone who watches the 6’6″ defenseman play can see what a monster he could become if he puts everything together, and at just 25 years of age there is plenty of time for that to happen. The right-handed Parayko has 111 points through 271 games in his career, but likely has even more offensive ability to show in the right situation. That also means he would cost a boatload from any acquiring team, especially given that he’s under contract through 2021-22 at a reasonable $5.5MM per season.
It’s the depth of potentially available defensemen that is so striking though, as Los Angeles Kings duo Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin both find themselves on Seravalli’s list along with Brett Pesce and Justin Faulk, two right-handed options from Carolina. Those three teams—St. Louis, Los Angeles and Carolina—could create quite a market for desperate buyers, but also could drive each other’s prices down because of heavy supply.
There’s obviously going to be some moves before the trade deadline later in the season, but which high-end defenseman is most likely to be traded? Who will be first? Cast your vote and leave a comment down below detailing who you think will step up and pay the price.
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Carolina Hurricanes Had Trade Fall Through At Last Minute
The Carolina Hurricanes have been rumored to be very interested in adding a scoring forward this season, and they may have almost gotten their wish last week. On the latest edition of Insider Trading for TSN, Pierre LeBrun reports that a deal fell through at the last minute with a Western Conference team. LeBrun restates the Hurricanes’ interest in a top-six forward and while it sounds like William Nylander is off the table after signing his long deal, apparently they have interest in Kasperi Kapanen of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Speculation can run wild on who the Hurricanes were dealing with in the West, but the simple fact is that Carolina is urgently looking to get some more firepower up front. With another goal tonight for the Maple Leafs, Kapanen continues to impress in an elevated position next to Auston Matthews and is setting himself up for a nice contract negotiation of his own in the offseason. The 22-year old forward had struggled to find any real consistency at the NHL level for the first few years of his career, but had 21 points in 31 games coming into tonight’s action and is finally fulfilling the potential that made him a first-round pick. The Maple Leafs of course have other concerns in the summer months, given that Matthews and Mitch Marner are also restricted free agents.
Even if Kapanen is not available—which LeBrun makes no real assertion on one way or the other—there will be plenty of offense to go around as the trade deadline nears later this season. Another name mentioned in the segment by insider Bob McKenzie, though not in specific reference to Carolina is Jeff Carter, who still has three years left on his contract after 2018-19 but isn’t actually owed much salary. That makes him a pretty attractive trade target if teams are willing to sacrifice some young assets for the rebuild in Los Angeles, though nothing seems imminent there either.
One has to wonder whether Carolina will find what they’re looking for soon, given the urgency the front office is likely feeling. The team entered play tonight at 13-12-4 but had scored just 72 goals in those 29 games. That put them ahead of only the Kings, a place you don’t want to be if you’re trying to compete for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.