- The Blackhawks have recalled defenseman Ian Mitchell from AHL Rockford, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). After being a regular for the bulk of last season, the 22-year-old has been limited to just six games with Chicago so far and has instead spent most of the year with the IceHogs where he has 12 points in 19 games.
Blackhawks Rumors
No Extension Talks Between Blackhawks And Either Of Their Goaltenders
- Although the Blackhawks have just one goaltender under contract for next season (prospect Arvid Soderblom), the team has not yet engaged in extension discussions with either Kevin Lankinen or Marc-Andre Fleury, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link). While Fleury is understandable – there’s no word on whether or not he’d be open to the idea and that needs to be determined before starting talks – the fact that they haven’t discussed anything with Lankinen’s camp is a bit surprising. His numbers are down a bit from last season but with his limited NHL experience (just 47 career games), he’s someone that should be cheaper than several veteran backups to keep around. With several key players needing new deals for next season, securing at least one goalie should be fairly high on interim GM Kyle Davidson’s list over the coming weeks.
Henrik Borgstrom Placed On IR
- The Blackhawks announced that they’ve placed center Henrik Borgstrom on injured reserve with a non-COVID illness. The placement is retroactive to December 10th which means he could return as soon as Friday against Nashville. The 24-year-old has had a quiet year since returning from overseas, notching just two goals and an assist in 17 games so far this season.
Chicago Blackhawks Announce Several Roster Moves
The Chicago Blackhawks will roll out a new look forward corps when they next take the ice on Monday. The team has announced that rookie Reese Johnson has been placed on injured reserve while fellow rookie Mike Hardman has been reassigned to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Taking their place on the roster will be veteran Brett Connolly and another rookie, Mackenzie Entwistle.
The news on Johnson is a disappointing development for the Blackhawks. It may not show on the scoresheet, but the 23-year-old has been playing well of late, even in his limited role. The team reports that Johnson suffered a fractured right clavicle on Saturday and is out indefinitely. Johnson will undergo further evaluation on Monday, after which the Blackhawks hope to have a more timeline for his return this season.
In the meantime, the Blackhawks could do far worse than bringing in the experienced Connolly. Acquired from the Florida Panthers last season, Connolly played in ten games with Chicago down the stretch but failed to make the team in training camp this year and was buried in the AHL. He has made the most of his time in Rockford, currently second on the team in scoring with 11 points in 16 games. While Connolly may not be the 20-goal threat he once was, the physical winger can still contribute in Chicago.
As for the swap in rookies, Entwistle has done more with his opportunity than Hardman this season. Though a top college free agent who got off to a hot start to his pro career last year with three points in eight NHL games, Hardman has only managed two assists in 19 games with the Blackhawks so far this season. In contrast, Entwistle has three points in 12 games, including a pair of goals.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Chad Krys
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks have completed a minor trade, swapping Kurtis Gabriel for Chad Krys. The two teams are set to meet over the weekend, meaning they can swap minor league players in the process.
The Maple Leafs are dealing with a few defensive absences, including injuries to both Rasmus Sandin and Travis Dermott. They were forced to insert Kristians Rubins into the lineup over the last couple of nights, allowing the young Latvian defenseman to make his NHL debut. Krys, who hasn’t completed that milestone yet himself, will give the team an extra depth option to fill out the minor league lineup or step in should another injury take place.
Selected 45th overall in 2016, Krys went on to play at Boston University for three seasons before joining the Rockford IceHogs. Injuries and inconsistency has marred his time there, with just 64 games played to this point. In eight contests this year, the left-shot defenseman has one points.
Gabriel meanwhile does have 49 games at the NHL level, though none of them have come this season. The 6’4″ forward is known more for his fighting ability than his skill with the puck, as seen by the 153 penalty minutes he’s racked up to this point compared to just five points. Now 28, he signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Maple Leafs in the offseason but failed to make the team out of camp. In 13 games with the minor league Toronto Marlies, he has two points.
Jujhar Khaira Released From Hospital; Out Indefinitely
Last night, after a scary hit that sent him to the ice unconscious, Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira was taken to a nearby hospital and monitored overnight. After extensive testing, he has been discharged and returned home. The Blackhawks have announced that though he suffered a significant injury, Khaira is expected to make a full recovery. There is no timeline for his return to play.
The hit, which was delivered by Jacob Trouba of the New York Rangers, did make contact with Khaira’s head, but also drove directly through his core. It was not penalized, but Trouba did end up fighting Riley Stillman soon afterward.
Chicago has made several roster moves following the game. Mike Hardman and Philipp Kurashev have been recalled, while Wyatt Kalynuk and Ian Mitchell have been sent back to the AHL. Mackenzie Entwistle, who was on injured reserve, has been activated and sent down.
AHL Shuffle: 12/05/21
It’s a perfect, snowy Sunday morning for hockey across much of Canada and the northern United States. As the NHL gears up for a six-game slate tonight, expect there to be some moves in the recall and reassignment department. Keep up with a list of today’s movement between the AHL and NHL today right here:
Atlantic Division
- After recalling forward Oskar Steen and defenseman Jack Ahcan from AHL Providence on Saturday, the Boston Bruins have returned the duo to the minors today, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Only Ahcan played against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, a last-minute replacement for the ill Charlie McAvoy.
- In order to make room for Kyle Clifford, who was seemingly floating in the ether on neither the NHL or AHL roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs have returned Michael Hutchinson to the AHL Marlies. With Petr Mrazek also in the AHL on a conditioning loan, this leaves impressive youngster Joseph Woll on the Maple Leafs roster as the understudy to starter Jack Campbell.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have activated forward Patrick Brown from the injured reserve and have given him Max Willman’s roster spot. The team announced that Willman has reassigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in order to activate Brown, who has only played in six games since being claimed off waivers earlier this year.
Central Division
- In response to activating Riley Stillman from injured reserve, the Chicago Blackhawks sent defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk down to the Rockford IceHogs this morning. The 24-year-old undrafted left-shot defenseman had no points in three games this season with the big club. He’ll return to Rockford, where he’s got a very strong 13 career points in just 12 games.
Pacific Division
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Chicago Blackhawks Activate Riley Stillman From Injured Reserve
After spending the last week and a half on the shelf with a left knee injury, defenseman Riley Stillman was activated from injured reserve today by the Chicago Blackhawks according to a team tweet.
In a corresponding move for roster space, the team assigned defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Stillman is in his first full season with the Blackhawks organization after being acquired from the Florida Panthers last season as part of the Brett Connolly trade. He promptly signed a three-year, $4.05MM extension with the team in April.
He’s struggled to find an everyday role with Chicago this season, however. Stillman has two points in 12 games but is averaging only 14:11 per game, compared to the 18:13 he averaged after the trade last season.
Still, he’s made a decent impact on both sides of the puck and could see an increase in playing time under a new head coach in Derek King. He’ll likely draw back into the lineup Sunday against the New York Islanders.
Blackhawks Could Move Calvin de Haan At Deadline
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan also finds himself on that same Trade Watch List. Listed at No. 7, de Haan has no points in 21 games this season but has been solid defensively on a Blackhawks team that sits in the bottom-ten in the league in goals against. The 30-year-old has oft appeared in trade rumors, and as he’s in the final year of his contract with a $4.55MM cap hit, those won’t be quieting down anytime soon.
Lukas Reichel Won't Play At World Juniors
Sabres winger J.J. Peterka and Blackhawks winger Lukas Reichel were expected to anchor Germany’s entry into the upcoming World Juniors. However, neither player was on the preliminary camp roster that their federation announced yesterday. It’s not a matter of letting them stay in the minors a little longer before joining the team either as it was revealed that after consulting with both players, it was agreed that they will remain with their respective farm teams and not play in the tournament. Peterka is averaging more than a point per game with AHL Rochester this season while Reichel has a dozen points in 15 contests with Rockford. With both seemingly being on the cusp of a recall at some point, the decision has been made to not interrupt their progress even though it will make Germany’s attempt to stay in the top division that much harder.