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Minor Transactions: 01/19/20

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Following last night’s results, each of the top five teams in the Pacific Division are within one point of each other, top to bottom. The Vancouver Canucks stand alone in first place with 58 points, but with each of the following four teams sitting at 57. It is the first time since 1978 that the top five teams in an NHL division have all been separated by such a small margin after January 1. Of course, not all point totals are created equal; Vancouver and Edmonton have played just 49 games, while Calgary has 50 games played and Vegas and Arizona have 51. As such, the teams’ point percentages differ more than their total points, especially in the case of the Canucks versus the Knights and Coyotes. Nonetheless, it is still a tight division, and one that has been on the rise this season to now occupy both Western Conference wild card spots. The Central Division’s top three – St. Louis, Colorado, and Dallas – may all have better records than any team in the Pacific, but the rest of their division has been overtaken. The 57/58-point range at this point in the year is nothing to criticize either. There are currently eleven teams with 57 or 58 points, all of whom are in playoff positions or just outside. So while the likes of Washington, Boston, and St. Louis might make the high fifties look light, it is actually a great pace for a playoff hopeful. With such a tight postseason picture right now in both conferences, though specifically the Pacific Division, every game counts and every little move made impacts those games. Keep an eye on all of today’s transactions here, as you never know what minor move could shift a season:

  • Many of “today’s” minor transactions occurred late last night, as 17 different teams are entering their bye week and many shuffled their young players to minors once their final game came to an end. The Ottawa Senators are one such example. The team reassigned young forwards Drake Batherson, Filip Chlapik, and Rudolfs Balcers to AHL Belleville following last night’s win.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs were in a similar boat, sending Adam Brooks and Tim Liljegren back to the AHL’s Marlies following last night’s game, which was also Liljegren’s NHL debut. Brooks has played in seven games with the Maple Leafs so far in his rookie season.
  • The Arizona Coyotes also head on bye, and have demoted goalie Adin Hill, defenseman Kyle Capobianco, and forward Michael Chaput to the Tuscon Roadrunners. Hill has played a key role of late for the ‘Yotes, but the team hopes to have Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta at full strength on the other side of this time off.
  • The St. Louis Blues made just one minor move before hitting their bye, assigning young defenseman Niko Mikkola to the San Antonio Rampage. Mikkola has looked good on the ice if not on the score sheet in five games with the Blues this season.
  • Also making just a single demotion before the bye were the Dallas Stars, who sent forward Joel Kiviranta to AHL Texas. Kiviranta is still looking for his first NHL point after seeing limited ice time in seven NHL games and will benefit from an increased role in the minors for a while.
  • Other bye week moves being reported by CapFriendly include the Los Angeles Kings sending forwards Matt Luff and Jaret Anderson-Dolan to the Ontario Reign, the San Jose Sharks shifting Joachim Blichfeld, Joel Kellman, and Antti Suomela to the AHL Barracuda locker room, and the Montreal Canadiens reassigning veteran Dale Weise to the Laval Rocket.
  • This morning, the Buffalo Sabres announced their own flurry of moves, reassigning forwards Rasmus Asplund and Scott Wilson and defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. While Pilut and Wilson have seen limited action, Asplund’s demotion is a bit surprising. Of every player sent down so far for their team’s bye week, none have played as many NHL games this season as Asplund’s 28. Yet, apparently the Sabres do not feel that he has earned the week off.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forward Dylan Sikura to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. The 24-year-old had a more successful run with Chicago this year as he scored his first NHL goal and three points in nine games. He’ll continue to work on his game in Rockford where he has nine goals and 16 points in 22 games.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned three players to their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils, including goaltender Cory Schneider and forwards Michael McLeod and Jesper Boqvist. It will be Boqvist’s first trip to the AHL as he made the New Jersey squad directly out of Sweden.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they are sending injured defenseman Matt Benning to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL on a conditioning stint. The 25-year-old blueliner has been out with a head injury since Dec. 1. The team has been extra cautious with Benning as its his second head injury this season. With the Oilers off until Jan. 29, Benning’s best chance of getting game experience is with the Condors, who have four games coming up this week. Benning has appeared in just 24 games this season, averaging just 13:42 of ice time.

Central Notes: Kaprizov, Sissons, Ellis, Saad, Parayko

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In a Q&A on the KHL website, Gillian Kemmerer interviewed KHL star and Minnesota Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov, who stated he is very interested in coming over and play in the NHL.

“I mean, what can I say? The [KHL] season is still on. I have to do my best here, but I do have a great desire to move over,” said Kaprizov. “I have to focus on the ongoing season. It’s the end of the regular season—I need to get ready for the playoffs and do well so that we win our second cup in a row. There’s still a lot to be done before I have to worry about it—such as making the World Championship team. There’s still time. I’ll think about it later.”

Kaprizov is expected to be a free agent this spring and could be a key piece in the Wild’s rebuilding effort if the team can convince him to sign an entry-level deal. The 22-year-old, who was a fifth-round pick in 2015, has been one of the KHL’s biggest stars as he has 23 goals and 45 points in 44 games this year with CSKA Moscow.

  • The Nashville Predators are hopeful that they might get a forward back into their lineup soon as head coach John Hynes said that the team hopes to get forward Colton Sissons back to practice after the all-star break, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. The 26-year-old, out with a lower-body injury since Dec. 27, has been skating on his own.  Hynes also noted that the news isn’t as good on defenseman Ryan Ellis, who still hasn’t stepped on the ice. The blueliner suffered an upper-body injury after taking a hit from Dallas’ Corey Perry on Jan. 1. However, Hynes points out that Ellis, “he is on that protocol to come back,” although he did admit he didn’t know when Ellis might start skating again.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have activated Brandon Saad off of injured reserve and he is expected to play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The 27-year-old has missed 12 straight games with an ankle injury and hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 19. Saad has 11 goals and 19 points in 36 games. The winger was considered to be out until the all-star break, but practiced fully on Friday.
  • NHL.com’s Lou Korac reports that the St. Louis Blues could have defenseman Colton Parayko back after the all-star break. The 26-year-old defenseman has been out since Jan. 2 with an upper-body injury. Head coach Craig Berube said that he is “pretty confident” that Parayko will be ready to return when the team gets back from break.

 

Brandon Saad Close To Returning

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  • While earlier in the week, it appeared as if Blackhawks winger Brandon Saad wouldn’t return until after the All-Star break, that may not be the case. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Saad participated in a full practice today and is questionable to play on Saturday against Toronto.  There are three games left for Chicago before the break so if Saad is a possibility to play tomorrow, there’s a very good chance he’ll get into one of the other two at least.

Injury Notes: Johns, Strome, Palmieri

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The Dallas Stars have recalled Stephen Johns from his assignment in the minor leagues, but the veteran defenseman remains on long-term injured reserve for the time being. Johns is trying to work his way back from post-traumatic headaches that have kept him out for more than a year.

Johns did make his return to game action for the Texas Stars, playing in two games for the AHL club. Even though he’s never been a very dangerous offensive player, he recorded four points in those two games and was a +5. His return would be a real boost for a Dallas team looking like potential Stanley Cup contenders at this point in the season.

  • Dylan Strome has been placed on injured reserve by the Chicago Blackhawks, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll miss any more time than expected. The designation is retroactive to January 7th, meaning he can be activated at any time. The team has brought up Brandon Hagel in the meantime. The 21-year old Hagel has 13 goals in 38 games this season for the Rockford IceHogs.
  • Michael McLeod is up for the New Jersey Devils, who placed Kyle Palmieri on injured reserve. Palmieri was supposed to be the Devils’ All-Star representative but has already been ruled out thanks to a left foot injury. McLeod, the 12th overall pick from 2016, has 18 points in 32 games for the Binghamton Devils this season.

Minor Transactions: 01/12/20

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The Dallas Stars dropped their first game of 2020 with a loss on Joe Pavelski’s return to San Jose, but the team still owns a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for second place in the Central Division. As we get close to the upcoming all-star break, several teams will be making roster moves to get that extra advantage. Check in throughout the day to see what moves teams are making today:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forward John Quenneville to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. The forward’s first stint with the Blackhawks wasn’t a great one as he went scoreless in nine games, while spending some of that time on the first line. The 23-year-old will return to Rockford where he already has eight goals in 19 games.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have announced they have swapped forwards. The team has recalled forward Connor Bunnaman from Lehigh Valley of the AHL, while assigning David Kase to the Phantoms. Bunnaman has already appeared in four games for the Flyers, but hasn’t registered a point.
  • While not an NHL transaction, the Buffalo Sabres promoted one of their top propsects as goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL from the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, according to Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. While the team did promise the 20-year-old netminder some playing time in the AHL, it looks like he’s earned it as Luukkonen was named and ECHL All-Star with a .917 save percentage in 20 appearances. The goalie has been impressive, especially considering he spent all summer and the start of this season recovering from hip surgery.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard under emergency conditions from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. No word yet on which netminder might be forced to sit out Sunday’s game against Buffalo.
  • CapFriendly reports that after recalling forward Lukas Radil Saturday, the team has re-assigned the forward to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. He did not play last night.
  • The Florida Panthers announced they have recalled goaltender Sam Montembeault from the Springfield Thunderbird of the AHL on an emergency basis. It looks like he will step into a backup role with Chris Driedger getting the start against Toronto after starter Sergei Bobrovsky left practice early on Saturday. Montembeault was originally the backup for the Panthers, but struggled in seven appearances with a 3.31 GAA and a .891 save percentage. He is currently boasting a .917 save percentage in Springfield through nine games. Due to their limited cap space, Florida also was forced to place defenseman Mackenzie Weegar on LTIR, according to CapFriendly.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled defenseman Alexander Yelesin from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 23-year-old was signed in the offseason out of the KHL where he was used as a shutdown defender. No word on whether a Flames’ defender is injured after Saturday’s game against Edmonton, but it’s likely Yelesin will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. He has one goal and four points in 29 games.
  • The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Phillip Di Giuseppe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. The 26-year-old Di Giuseppe has plenty of NHL experience as he has already appeared in 150 NHL, mostly with the Carolina Hurricanes, but has not appeared in a game with the Rangers yet. He has 11 goals and 22 points in 39 games in Hartford. The team also assigned Steven Fogarty to Hartford as well. The 26-year-old Fogarty has no points in six games with New York.

Central Notes: Maatta, Ellis, Sissons, Fabbro, Klingberg

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The Chicago Blackhawks worked hard at upgrading their defense last summer by trading for Calvin de Haan and Olli Maatta. De Haan fared well when healthy (he’s now out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery). However, Maatta has struggled often and found himself often playing third-pairing minutes in his first season in Chicago and finds himself playing a career-low 17:54. The problem with Maatta is that he still has another two years on his contract at $4.08MM.

The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus (along with Scott Powers — subscription required) make several predictions for 2020 for the Blackhawks, and Lazerus believes that with new pending contracts for Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome and Robin Lehner, the team will have to free up some cap room. He suggests that Maatta would be a logical candidate for the team to cut loose, along with forward Zack Smith. Buying out Maatta would save the team $3.4MM over the next two years, while buying out Smith would save the team $2.1MM next season. With the expected arrival of Ian Mitchell and the continued development of prospect Nicolas Beaudin, there may be no need or even roster space for Maatta.

  • Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes said that Ryan Ellis and Colton Sissons, both on injured reserve, continue to make progress in their recovery. However, neither player is expected to travel with the team on their two-game road trip, starting on Sunday, to Winnipeg and Edmonton, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. Ellis has been on IR since Jan. 3 with an upper-body injury, while Sissons has been out since Dec. 23 after suffering a lower-body injury.
  • Vingan also reports that defenseman Dante Fabbro is close to returning after practicing with the team on Satuday. Fabbro, out since Jan. 1, but found himself paired with Mattias Ekholm in practice, which suggests he may be ready to play again. Fabbro has been solid in his rookie campaign, scoring four goals and nine points in 39 games, while averaging 19:20 of ATOI.
  • NHL.com’s Mike Heika reports that Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg skated Saturday. The blueliner has missed three games already with a lower-body injury, but is expected to miss a few more as Heika adds that Klingberg isn’t ready to return yet.

 

Robin Lehner Comments On His Upcoming Free Agency

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2018-19 was a great season for Robin Lehner.  After struggling to the point of being non-tendered in Buffalo, he performed quite well with the Islanders but was still only able to land a one-year deal in free agency with Chicago, who gave him $5MM for the season.  Once January 1st rolled around, he became eligible to sign an extension with the Blackhawks.  John Dietz of the Daily Herald spoke with Lehner who was quick to point out that while he enjoys it there, he won’t be taking any discounts to stick around:

I’ve taken discounts my whole life.  I’m not a guy that wants to be overpaid either.  I want to gain some respect that I think I deserve and we’ll see if that happens or not.

At the very least, Lehner’s free agent case should be bolstered this summer.  Teams were likely hesitant to commit back in July when he had only the one good year under his belt.  However, he has played well this season and has posted a .922 save percentage, a mark that is well above league average and he knows that is going to work in his favor.

It’s a different summer this summer than last summer.  I have another year under my belt in my new journey.  The market is (also) wide open. There’s a lot of teams that need goalies (and) not that many goalies available.

As things stand, it certainly looks like there will be a shuffle of goalies this summer with players like Lehner (plus teammate Corey Crawford), Braden Holtby, and Jacob Markstrom at the top of the market with top backups like Thomas Greiss, Jaroslav Halak, and Anton Khudobin also certain to garner a lot of interest.  At the very least, Lehner should be able to get a longer-term commitment and a raise which would make his decision to go the one-year route last summer a prudent one.

Staying in Chicago could ultimately be the best move for him though.  With both his and Crawford’s deals coming off the books, they free up $11MM in cap space.  While a good chunk of those savings will be put towards Alex DeBrincat’s new deal that kicks in next season, there is still enough for them to spend on a starting goalie.  Lehner has been the better of the two so it’s likely that he’ll be the one they push to keep.  But after having a quiet market last July, there will be several other suitors to contend with this time around.

Snapshots: Chara, Caggiula, Gustafsson

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Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was a surprise absence from the lineup on Thursday night, with the team providing little indication before puck drop that he would not be available. However, the reasoning is tied to the only cause of missed action for Chara dating back to the 2019 postseason. Chara suffered a fractured jaw in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final and missed the remainder of the game, though he admirably returned for Games Five through Seven. Chara underwent surgery this summer, but was healthy by training camp and the 42-year-old has not dealt with any other injuries so far this year. Chara only missed his first game of the season back in December due to a clean-up procedure on his jaw. Now, it seems the jaw has stuck again, after Chara took a couple of good shots from the Nashville Predators’ Yakov Trenin in a fight on Tuesday night. There has been no time frame provided for Chara’s return to action, as this could simply just be soreness related to the surgically-repaired jaw, which would lend itself to the late announcement that he would not play. The Bruins will be happy to have their veteran leader back whenever he is ready, as the iconic defenseman continues to play big minutes for Boston.

  • Drake Caggiula has returned to the lineup for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday after having missed nearly two months with a concussion. Caggiula, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last season, is hoping he can return to the same level of production he flashed after initially arriving in Chicago, recording 12 points in 26 games. Caggiula had just four points through 15 games to begin this season, but the opportunity is there for the two-way forward to take on a bigger role for the offense-challenged Blackhawks.
  • Winnipeg Jets rookie David Gustafsson played his first 22 games of the season in the NHL and then played well at the World Junior Championship. His reward? A demotion to the AHL. The Manitoba Moose report that Gustafsson has been reassigned to the team, where he will make his AHL debut after reporting directly to the Jets after coming over from Sweden this year. Gustafsson had just one lone point with the Jets before being loaned to the WJC, but if his production in the SHL and on the international stage are any indication, he could be a scoring force for the Moose and earn his way back to Winnipeg shortly.

Minor Transactions: 01/08/20

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After an interesting night of NHL hockey, the league is back with three games this evening including the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers in a Metropolitan battle. The Flyers are in fifth place in the division but still within striking distance of the top three. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of the minor moves right here:

  • Joachim Blichfeld has been returned to the minor leagues by the San Jose Sharks after failing to get into a game during this call-up. Blichfeld has just two NHL games under his belt at this point, and needs to keep playing to continue his development.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have decided to call up Mark Friedman, sending Andy Andreoff back to the minors in the process. Friedman, 24, made his NHL debut last season and has ten points in 28 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year.
  • Barrett Hayton has been officially added back to the Arizona Coyotes roster after winning gold at the World Juniors. Hayton suffered a shoulder injury during the tournament, but played through it and scored the tying goal for Canada in the final.
  • With Robin Lehner ready to return to action for the Chicago Blackhawks, Kevin Lankinen has been returned to the minor leagues. Lankinen didn’t get any NHL action in his recent call-up, but did get a little extra money and some experience from being up at the highest level.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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Monday: According to CapFriendly, all three players have cleared waivers. Holm’s contract can now be terminated.

Sunday: There are three defensemen hitting the NHL waiver wire today, though none should come as much of a surprise. New Jersey’s Matt Tennyson, who cleared waivers earlier this season, has again been waived for the purpose of reassignment to the AHL. Meanwhile, Montreal’s Christian Folin is also on waivers after being a healthy scratch for more than two months.  Chicago’s Philip Holm, who has not seen any NHL action this season, has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.

Folin, 28, played well down the stretch with the Canadiens last season after a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers and did enough to earn a one-year extension with the team this season. Signing a one-way deal to stay in Montreal, many expected that Folin could be a regular piece of the roster this season. However, he has hardly been utilized instead, playing in five games with the Habs, seven games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, and watching most games from the press box. After the Canadiens acquired Marco Scandella last week, it was clear that a re-shuffling of the blue line was in order and Folin is now headed back to the minor, pending safe clearance through waivers.

Tennyson, 29, has been a serviceable defender for the Devils this season, playing in 19 games already, which is equal to his past two seasons combined. Tennyson signed a two-year, two-way contract with New Jersey this summer and was expected to play the role of AHL veteran and deep depth option, but has already provided more value than that. However, he landed on the injured reserve back in early December and the Devils have gotten healthy and learned to play without him in the weeks since. Now healthy, Tennyson will return to the minors, unless another team was impressed enough with his early-season play to claim the affordable depth option.

Holm, 28, returned to North America this season after spending last year in the KHL. The former SHL standout took his time coming over initially, waiting until 2017 before signing with the Vancouver Canucks. Potentially as a result of his unfamiliarity with the NHL style, Holm has struggled to translate his ability. He played in one game with the Canucks early in the 2017-18, zero with the Vegas Golden Knights following a mid-season trade, and zero with the Blackhawks this season. His opportunity and thus his production has been better in Europe, making it far from a shock that he is abandoning his one-year, two-way contract with Chicago early to pursue other options. Expect his contract to be terminated tomorrow once he clears waivers.

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