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Minor Transactions: 03/11/20

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The party ended for the Philadelphia Flyers last night, unable to extend their winning streak to ten games after being defeated 2-0 by the Boston Bruins. They’ll be able to get right back on the horse tomorrow night, but first the NHL will hold five games this evening. Today’s schedule is heavily represented by Western Conference teams, with a battle between the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers perhaps the most interesting in terms of playoff implications. As they prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves throughout the day.

  • Ahead of their road trip that starts tonight in Chicago, the San Jose Sharks have recalled Nick DeSimone. San Jose will face the Blackhawks, Blues, Stars and Avalanche before heading home later this month.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent Lukas Vejdemo back to the minor leagues after playing in three games during this latest recall. The 24-year old forward scored his first NHL goal last night but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Nashville Predators.
  • Once again, Martin Kaut has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche, the third such occasion over the last few weeks. The young forward has looked ready to make the jump to the NHL and will give Colorado another body as Nathan MacKinnon deals with a lower-body injury.
  • The New York Rangers have recalled Steven Fogarty under emergency conditions, likely meaning that Filip Chytil will not be ready to go tonight against the Avalanche. Chytil has been listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Fogarty, 26, has played in six games this season and 17 in his career, but is still looking for his first NHL point.

Minor Transactions: 03/10/20

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If you are a fan of an Eastern Conference team fighting for a playoff spot tonight will certainly be of interest, as the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers while the Tampa Bay Lightning battle the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both games could have massive ramifications on seeding, while six other games have meaningful impact as well. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled Matt Tennyson, who will play tonight in place of Fredrik Claesson. Tennyson, 29, has played in 19 games this season for the Devils, recording three points.
  • Like most days that end in Y, Nicolas Roy has been involved in another transaction. The Vegas Golden Knights forward is back on the AHL roster along with Brandon Pirri after his latest recalled. Roy has now been brought up or down more than 30 times on the season.
  • The Minnesota Wild have returned Gerald Mayhew to the minor leagues after going scoreless in six consecutive games. The 27-year old Mayhew has dominated the AHL this season scoring 39 goals in 48 games, but hasn’t been quite able to carry that production over to the NHL level.
  • Sheldon Dries and Martin Kaut have both been returned to the Colorado Eagles, which bodes well for the health of Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche star suffered a lower-body injury but it is not clear how serious it is at this point.
  • Perhaps most notable today among the minor moves is the recall of Nicolas Beaudin by the Chicago Blackhawks. The 20-year old defenseman is in his first year of professional hockey after being selected 27th overall in 2018. Through 59 games with the Rockford IceHogs, Beaudin has collected three goals and 15 points.

Minor Transactions: 03/09/20

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Another exciting weekend has come and gone on the NHL schedule without a Philadelphia Flyers loss. The team is now tied with the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division after winning nine straight, while their cross-state rivals in Pittsburgh continue to fall behind. Tonight many hockey fans will have their sights trained on a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers, two teams that could very well face each other at some point in the playoffs. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The New York Islanders have recalled Thomas Hickey once again as they continue to deal with injuries on the back end, and his stay could be a little longer this time. The team leaves for a four-game road trip that starts in Vancouver tomorrow, before returning home next week.
  • Janne Kuokkanen has been recalled for the first time by the New Jersey Devils after coming to the organization at the trade deadline. The Carolina Hurricanes still haven’t seen Sami Vatanen in action, but New Jersey will get a closer look at one of their new prospects.
  • Speaking of the Hurricanes, the team sent Alex Nedeljkovic back to the minor leagues today as Petr Mrazek prepares for his return. Mrazek may start tomorrow for the Hurricanes according to team reporter Michael Smith, though it has not yet been confirmed.
  • Martin Kaut has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche, a notable occurrence for more than just the prospect’s pocketbook. If Kaut plays in two more games this season he would burn the first year of his entry-level contract, something that was cited as the reason for his recent demotion.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Brandon Hagel under emergency conditions, giving him another chance at the NHL level. The 21-year old forward still hasn’t played a game for the Blackhawks, though this will be the fifth recall of his career.

Minor Transactions: 03/05/20

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Ten more games are on the schedule for this evening, with another pair of prime Metropolitan match-ups. The Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers are both in action again after their battle last night, against the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes respectively. Carolina and New York are still within striking distance of a playoff spot, but will need to win games like these down the stretch. As the Metro and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Sheldon Dries and Kevin Connauton, sending Martin Kaut back to the minor leagues in the meantime. Dries and Connauton have combined for just four games in the NHL this season, but have both been important contributors for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.
  • As expected, Thomas Hickey has been recalled under emergency conditions by the New York Islanders as they deal with Johnny Boychuk’s eye injury. Hickey, a veteran of more than 400 NHL games, hasn’t played for the Islanders yet this season, instead dressing with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
  • Jalen Chatfield has been reassigned to the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks. Fellow rookie defenseman Guillaume Brisebois was also sent down briefly, but only to be recalled under emergency conditions. Neither player has actually suited up for Vancouver this season.

Mikko Rantanen Resumes Skating

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  • Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen skated before practice for the first time since sustaining a shoulder injury last month, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. However, he’s still likely a little while away from returning considering that he still has to get cleared for contact.  Still, it’s at least a little bit of good news on the injury front for Colorado which is something they haven’t had much of lately; on top of also being without goalie Phillip Grubauer, wingers Andre Burakovsky, Matt Calvert, and Colin Wilson plus center Nazem Kadri, blueliner Cale Makar will also miss his second straight game tonight against Anaheim due to an upper-body issue.

Snapshots: Three Stars, EBUG, Pittsburgh

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and a great story of redemption comes in at the top. Kevin Fiala, who was made a healthy scratch earlier in the year, had four multi-point games in one week and now sits at a career-high 49 points on the season. The 23-year old forward has always oozed talent, but would disappear for stretches during his time with the Nashville Predators. In eight games with new head coach Dean Evason, Fiala has six goals and 11 points.

Second place goes to a former teammate of Fiala in Ryan Ellis, whose return to the Predators lineup was a strong one after missing time with a concussion. The defenseman recorded seven points last week and now has 36 on the year. If you hadn’t realized just how well Pavel Francouz was playing for the Colorado Avalanche, how about a 3-0 week with a .946 save percentage to let the world know. The goaltender took home the third star after receiving the top honors last week.

  • It is the first day of the GM meetings in Florida, and one of the topics of conversation was the emergency backup goaltender situation. Though there were some who have voiced concerns, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that there will be no changes to the protocol. Fans of Scott Foster and David Ayres will be relieved.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a terrible slump, but might be getting some reinforcements back soon. Brian Dumoulin, John Marino and Nick Bjugstad were all participating in full at practice today, though it is not clear exactly when they will return to action. With that news, the team has returned Zach Trotman to the minor leagues.

Minor Transactions: 02/29/20

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Today is leap day and a number of NHL teams will be looking to do just that when it comes to the standings. Saturday’s slate of a dozen games features ten games with at least one team in the thick of the playoff race, including six collisions between current playoff teams. The Bruins and Islanders kick off the action this afternoon; New York has a chance to pull into a tie with the Penguins for the final Metropolitan Division spot, but Boston has won their past ten road games versus the Isles. Later this afternoon, the Lightning – losers of four straight – look to get back on track as they host the Flames. The nighttime lineup begins with the Panthers, desperate for a win to keep up with the Maple Leafs, hosting head coach Joel Quenneville’s former club, the Blackhawks. Toronto will have their hands full themselves as they face the Canucks, who need to make the most of their games in hand to catch the red-hot Golden Knights. The new-look Hurricanes must do the same to keep up in the wild card race, as they visit the Canadiens. The Central Division could be in for a shake-up, as the streaking Avalanche take on the Predators while the equally hot Blues face the Stars. Finally, in late night action for those not on the west coast, the Jets and Oilers collide in a game that could make waves in the Western wild card chase, while the Penguins look to end the league’s worst current losing streak against the Sharks. With plenty of action, there very likely could be plenty of roster adjustments as well. Keep up with all those minor transactions right here:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they have recalled Ryan MacInnis from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has been up and down a number of times this season, but has recorded just one assist in nine games with Columbus. However, he has already set a new career high in points in the minors, with 30 points in 45 games. The two-way center appears to be adding more of an offensive touch to his game, but just needs to transition that ability to the top level.
  • With the news that Blackhawks forwards Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith will not be returning this season due to their current injuries, there are opportunities for others to step up in the Chicago lineup. Brandon Hagel will get his chance, as the team has recalled the 21-year-old from the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The first-year pro has 19 goals and 30 points in 55 games with Rockford in an impressive debut campaign and will continue a year of firsts when he takes the ice for the first time with the Blackhawks. UPDATE: Unfortunately, for Hagel, the team announced they opted to return him just hours later as the Blackhawks did not need him.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Colorado Avalanche have reassigned forward Logan O’Connor to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. The University of Denver product has been a fixture of Colorado hockey for many years now, but still has yet to make much of an impact at the NHL level with just one point in 14 games over the past two seasons.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled forward Jesper Boqvist from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The team has been playing with 12 forwards and no reserves lately, but with three games in the next four days out on the West Coast, New Jersey is likely going to need some insurance at forward. Boqvist spent most of the season in New Jersey, posting four goals and no assists in 34 games, but was sent to the AHL on Jan. 19 to get more playing time. He has five goals and eight points in 15 games in Binghamton.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Montreal Canadiens have activated defenseman Xavier Ouellet off of injured reserve. The blueliner has missed more than a week with a concussion, but could be in the Canadiens’ lineup later today. That move could also signal the end for Karl Alzner, who replaced him on the roster and is likely headed for Laval.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled forward Joel Farabee from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Farabee was sent to the AHL last Monday, which allowed him to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. The 20-year-old has had an inconsistent rookie season with the Flyers, having posted seven goals and 20 points in 49 games, which included a January demotion to the Phantoms. He has two goals and three assists over his last nine games.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have recalled forward Brandon Pirri from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. That likely suggests that forward Tomas Nosek, who left Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Pirri was expected to play a bigger role in Las Vegas this season after potting 12 goals last year. However, after going scoreless after 11 games, he was sent to Chicago where he has had 15 goals and 35 points in 38 games.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Vegas’ Pick, Marleau, Sheahan, Archibald

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The NHL announced its Three Stars for last week with Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz getting the top honors. Francouz, filling in for the injured Philipp Grubauer went 3-0-1 for the week, posting a 1.46 GAA and a .941 save percentage along with a 1-0 shutout over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Francouz is in his first full season with the Avalanche and had done an exceptional job as their emergency starter where he ranks fifth in the league with a 2.27 GAA and tied for fourth in the league with a .927 save percentage.

Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers received the second star, scoring three goals and five assists over three games for the Rangers. He helped lead New York to three victories as the rebuilding franchise suddenly is within four points of a playoff spot. Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane takes the third star honors with five goals and six points in three games, which includes his first-career hat trick against Anaheim on Feb. 17.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have been quiet so far on Monday, but the team still managed to pick up a fifth-round pick in 2021 from the Carolina Hurricanes, a condition of the Erik Haula deal this offseason, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Haula was traded earlier today to Florida as part of a package for Vincent Trocheck, which enacted a condition in the Golden Knights trade which stated that the Hurricanes would send a fifth-round pick to Vegas if Haula was traded to another team for a player.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that even though the San Jose Sharks have traded away veteran forward Patrick Marleau to Pittsburgh earlier today, the veteran is expected to be welcome back next year to San Jose if he is interested. The 40-year-old is just 53 games away from breaking Gordie Howe’s all-time games played mark. A reunion would allow him to do it in a Sharks sweater next season.
  • The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports that the Edmonton Oilers are currently working on getting extensions worked out for forwards Riley Sheahan and Josh Archibald, both who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Both players are key players on the team’s penalty kill with Sheahan logging the second-most minutes on the PK, while Archibald is fourth. Both players have fared well after singing one-year pacts this summer. Sheahan has seven goals and 14 points in 57 games, while Archibald has with 10 goals and 17 points in 53 games.

Toronto Trades Hutchinson To Colorado, Re-Acquires Rosen

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have re-acquired a familiar face as the team picked up defenseman Calle Rosen from the Colorado Avalanche, while sending third-string goaltender Michael Hutchinson back.

Rosen, 26, spent the previous two years with the Maple Leafs, mostly with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, but did play eight games with the Leafs between those two seasons. The belief was that he had developed to the point that he was a likely candidate to take over a third-pairing defenseman for Toronto this season. However, instead the Maple Leafs traded him to Colorado during the summer as part of the Nazem Kadri deal that brought in Tyson Barrie and Alex Kerfoot. Rosen has split time with the Avalanche as well, but has primarily stayed in the AHL with the Eagles, where he has three goals and 15 points in 35 games. He has appeared in eight games with the Avalanche with two assists.

As for Hutchinson, the Avalanche needed some depth at the position with the injury to Philipp Grubauer and they got it. The team has been using backup Pavel Francouz as the primary starter, but need a capable backup to fill in as a third-string option. Hutchinson started the season as the Maple Leafs’ backup goaltender, but struggled immensely all season. An injury to Frederik Andersen, only made things worse as the netminder allowed seven goals in his final two appearances before Toronto opted to trade for Jack Campbell and sending Hutchinson to the Marlies. In 15 games, Hutchinson had a 3.66 GAA and a .866 save percentage. He has played better in the AHL in four starts this year, posting a 1.98 GAA and a .943 save percentage.

Avalanche Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov

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Colorado has added some offensive depth as they have acquired winger Vladislav Namestnikov from Ottawa, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).  Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch adds (via Twitter) that the Senators receive a 2021 fourth-round pick in return.

The 27-year-old acquired Namestnikov back in early October from the Rangers in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round pick and AHL defenseman Nick Ebert so the Sens basically recovered back what they gave up for him in the first place.

The change of scenery certainly worked for the winger.  After being bumped down the depth chart in New York, Namestnikov played a bigger role in Ottawa and had some success, recording 13 goals and 12 assists in 54 games while logging over 15 minutes per game.  He’ll likely get a chance to play a similar role with the Avalanche for the time being with Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Colin Wilson, and Matt Calvert all currently injured.

Namestnikov is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and carries a $4MM cap hit.  However, New York retained $750K of that in October so the Avs will only be on the hook for a pro-rated $3.25MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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