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Minor Transactions: 12/17/17

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After an 11-game schedule last night that included the Centennial Classic at Lansdowne Park between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens, the NHL has just four games on Sunday, but after all that action, many teams are likely going to make some moves to shuffle their rosters.

  • NHL.com’s Brian Hedger reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets will make a few roster changes after the team’s 2-1 loss to Carolina Saturday. The team plans to recall winger Sonny Milano and defenseman Cameron Gaunce and intend to assign forward Jordan Schroeder and defenseman Gabriel Carlsson to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. For many of these players, they have been rotating back and forth between clubs most of the season. Milano has been one of those players. The 21-year-old has been with Cleveland for the past week and has two assists in four games there. He has played 25 games for the Blue Jackets, but has had trouble finding the net after a hot start. Gaunce will be recalled for the first time this season. The 27-year-old, who signed with Columbus in the offseason, has five assists in 20 AHL games. The team will return Schroeder, who has been up and down, but is slowly crossing the 10-game barrier that would force the team to place him on waivers again. The team placed the 27-year-old wing on waivers on Oct. 23. He has played eight games for Columbus with no points. Carlsson, has also been a two-way player quite often this year. The 20-year-old former first-round pick in 2015 has one assist in 10 games with Columbus and has played in just five games with Cleveland. He has been with the team since Dec. 1.
  • The Florida Panthers announced the team has loaned winger Dryden Hunt to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL as the team is starting to get healthy again. The 22-year-old has been with the team since Nov. 9, but has just one assist in 11 games with the Panthers. Hunt had been playing well with Springfield to start the season, which is what prompted his promotion to Florida after he put up five goals and three assists in 13 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues unsurprisingly activated defenseman Alex Pietrangelo Sunday, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pietrangelo was activated after missing the last four games with a foot injury that he suffered in a Dec. 9 game against Detroit when he took a shot off his foot. The 27-year-old captain’s seven goals ranks third among NHL defenseman and his 23 points ranks him ninth among defenseman.
  • Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post tweets that the Washington Capitals made a couple of roster moves today, sending defenseman Madison Bowey and winger Jakub Vrana to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. However, Khurshudyan adds that it is just a paper move to give Washington a small amount of cap space as both are not expected to leave town and will be recalled tomorrow morning.

New York Islanders Loan Josh Ho-Sang To AHL

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4:15pm: Steve Bernier is the call-up for the Islanders, giving the journeyman forward another crack at the NHL. Bernier has played for six different NHL teams since being drafted 16th-overall by San Jose in 2003. Once a promising young power forward with goal scoring upside, Bernier hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2015-16 season.

10:38am: After another loss at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets last night, the New York Islanders have sent Josh Ho-Sang back to the minor leagues. While there is no guarantee this is for more than just the day, Ho-Sang is mired in a five-game pointless streak and the team doesn’t necessarily need the cap space. More likely it is an attempt to shake up the team after going 4-5-1 in their last ten and allowing 11 goals over the last two.

Ho-Sang has been the focus of displeasure from Islanders’ fans recently, as his high-risk style has resulted in more chances against than for of late. Still, he has 12 points in 21 games this season and is a dynamic offensive player. The Islanders—filled with offense suddenly, and trailing only Tampa Bay in goals for—need to find a way to keep the puck out of their own net with more regularity. Shane Prince, who is on a conditioning loan with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers could potentially be recalled in Ho-Sang’s place.

The Islanders currently sit in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but can’t afford to keep losing. In a season that must impress their star player John Tavares enough to warrant a long-term extension, missing the playoffs would be a huge problem. After acquiring Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd the last two offseasons to help their offense, the loss of Travis Hamonic seems to have really weakened them defensively. When combined with a terrible penalty kill and poor performances from both Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak in net, the team has allowed 111 goals against this season—the most in the East and only trailing Arizona league-wide.

Brandon Dubinsky Out 6-8 Weeks With Fractured Orbital Bone

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Don’t get in a fight with Zack Kassian. Brandon Dubinsky learned that the hard way last night, and will now be out six to eight weeks with a fractured orbital bone. Dubinsky and Kassian got into it at the end of the game, but after taking one hard shot the Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward doubled over and had to slowly leave the ice. Dubinsky has already been placed on injured reserve, while the team has recalled Jordan Schroeder from the AHL.

Brandon DubinskyBlue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen on the situation:

At this time, the damage has not affected the function of his eye and long-term vision. He will continue to be monitored closely by our medical team.

While it is good news that Dubinsky’s vision and long-term health doesn’t seem at risk, the short-term effect on Columbus could be devastating. Though he isn’t performing up to his standards offensively, Dubinsky takes a huge number of draws for the Blue Jackets, especially in their own end. He also logs the most short-handed time by any forward, and is a physical force on the ice. The Blue Jackets haven’t been able to get their powerplay working, and with a weakened center group could face even more troubles scoring 5-on-5.

It seems likely that Nick Foligno could return to the center position, something he did at length during the beginning of the season when other players were injured for the Blue Jackets. They’ll now need to rely even more heavily on Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has gone from an uncertain roster spot to the top-line pivot in a matter of months. The 19-year old Dubois has played nearly 18 minutes a night during the last ten games, a number that could increase even further with Dubinsky on the shelf.

The injury also could accelerate the Blue Jackets’ plan on the trade market, as the team has previously been linked to available centers. They wanted to add one even when Dubinsky was healthy, knowing they had precarious depth at the position. Whether this forces their hand somewhat won’t be known until Kekalainen makes a deal, but you can bet teams in the Metropolitan are licking their chops at the chance to unseat Columbus from the top of the standings.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 12/10/17

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There may only be four games on tap today, but with a busy slate yesterday that saw all but seven teams in action, there should be many squads reviewing their performances and making any necessary changes ahead of a new week:

  • After being called up just yesterday, Sonny Milano is on his way back down to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters once again. The Columbus Blue Jackets announced the demotion of the struggling young forward late last night after an unimpressive performance against the Arizona Coyotes. Columbus came out on top 1-0, but Milano’s only statistic of note was one giveaway in his 8:34 time on ice. Milano has five goals and five assists in 25 games with the Jackets this season, but has scored only once since October 13th. With Columbus’ depth of talent, they don’t have to put up with that inconsistency.
  • NHL.com’s Igor Eronko reports that the St. Louis Blues have recalled Ivan Barbashev from the AHL. After playing in 30 games for St. Louis in 2016-17, Barbashev has only skated in six NHL contests this season and hasn’t seen big league action since October after being held scoreless to begin the campaign. With the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Barbashev has four goals and four assists in 18 games, so the 21-year-old Russian isn’t exactly tearing up the minors either. Barbashev needs to find a rhythm this season if he hopes to stick in St. Louis and this recall is his next chance to do so.
  • The Dallas Stars announced the have recalled center Jason Dickinson from the Texas Stars of the AHL this morning. The 22-year old has played in just four games with no points with the Dallas Stars this season, filling in as an emergency forward. This will be no different as the team still has Martin Hanzal out and the status of Antoine Roussel (elbow) and Greg Pateryn (thigh contusion) are both up in the air for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers. Dickinson is expected to play as the team’s fourth-line center on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. The former first-round pick from 2013 has played well in the AHL, where he has scored 13 goals in 20 games.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they have activated winger Nikita Scherbak, who has been out since Oct. 26 after requiring surgery on his right knee, and has been assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Scherbak had only played with the Canadiens for less than a week when he was injured. He was recalled on Oct. 22 after a strong start with the Rocket when he put up one goal and eight assists in six games. Struggling for offense, Montreal hoped Scherbak might be able to infuse the team with his skills, but he managed to play in just two games and averaged just 7:59 of ice time before injuring his knee.
  • The Anaheim Ducks placed Joseph Blandisi, who was recently acquired as part of the Sami Vatanen and Adam Henrique trade, on injured reserve with an upper body injury. He played in two games with no points after coming over in the trade, but was injured in the Dec. 2 game against the Nashville Predators. He has missed three games and could still be activated for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The team also recalled defenseman Andrew Welinski from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old played four years with University of Minnesota-Duluth and has played well in San Diego as the blueliner has six goals and 11 assists in 21 games. This is his first callup to Anaheim.
  • The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno tweets that the Vegas Golden Knights activated starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury off of injured reserve and assigned Maxime Lagace to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Fleury was reported yesterday to be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He has been out since Oct. 13 with a concussion and has played in just four games this season. The team’s leader has a 2.48 GAA and a 3-1 record. Lagace returns to Chicago after a long stint with the Golden Knights. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut this season and had some good and bad games, wrapping up with the team Saturday as he stopped 36 shots to win his sixth game of the season against the Dallas Stars. He finished his stint having played in 14 games with a 3.79 GAA and a .872 save percentage. Because Lagace was an emergency recall, he does not have to pass through waivers to return to Chicago.

Wennberg Could Be Available In Trade

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  • Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News suggests that despite the Columbus Blue Jackets’ previous stance that they are looking for a top-line center, many within the organization now feel that last year’s third overall pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois, is starting to show that he might be that player they were looking for. Dubois has taken a step forward in his development and now is centering the team’s top line with Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson. Richardson even suggests that with the emergence of Dubois, the team might consider moving center Alexander Wennberg, who is struggling a bit this season after a 59-point season a year ago, and might be better off getting a chance on a different team, while the team focus on other areas of need. The team might need to get a center back, but with Brandon Dubinsky currently playing on the second line, the team might have an asset they could live without.

Blue Jackets Recall Sonny Milano

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  • Sonny Milano’s back-and-forth season continues.  The Blue Jackets announced that they have recalled the winger from Cleveland of the AHL.  He has spent the bulk of the season with Columbus, tallying ten points in 24 games while adding a pair of assists in two minor league contests.

Blue Jackets Assign Sonny Milano To Cleveland

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  • NHL.com’s Brian Hedger tweeted that the Columbus Blue Jackets have sent winger Sonny Milano to the Cleveland Monsters today. The promising 21-year-old winger has had trouble gaining consistency with Columbus as he’s put up five goals and five assists in 24 games, but hasn’t scored a goal in the last month. This isn’t the first time Milano has been sent down this season. He was assigned to Cleveland on Nov. 18 for one game with the Monsters and had an assist and subsequently recalled the following day.

Matt Calvert Activated Off Injured Reserve, Ryan Murray Placed On IR

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  • The Blue Jackets have activated winger Matt Calvert off of injured reserve, per a team release. He had missed the last dozen games due to an upper-body injury.  Prior to getting hurt a month ago, Calvert had gotten off to a strong start to his season with three goals and five assists in 14 contests.  To make room for him on the roster, the team placed defenseman Ryan Murray on IR with an upper-body issue of his own.  He has missed the last two games which means they can back-date the placement to late-November.

Blue Jackets Recall Gabriel Carlsson And Markus Hannikainen

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  • The Blue Jackets have recalled defenseman Gabriel Carlsson and forward Markus Hannikainen from Cleveland of the AHL, per a team release.  Both players have spent the bulk of the season with Columbus but had each been sent down within the last week to pick up a bit of playing time at the minor league level to stay in game shape.

Minor Transactions: 11/29/17

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The NHL was busy last night with twenty teams taking the ice to try and continue or turn their seasons around. Today is much quieter with only four games on the docket, meaning teams there will likely be several fringe roster moves to get ready for the rest of the week. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor transactions right here. Be sure to check back throughout the day.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have returned Gabriel Carlsson and Jordan Schroeder to the AHL. Carlsson was called up yesterday on emergency conditions when Ryan Murray couldn’t go last night. Schroeder had played six games for the Blue Jackets, but cleared waivers already this season and can be moved up and down for the time being without having to go through the process again.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled Garnet Hathaway from the Stockton Heat of the AHL, while placing Kris Versteeg on injured reserve. Versteeg is out with a lower-body injury and has missed the last two games for the Flames already. Hathaway meanwhile has 19 points in 18 games for the Heat, and can offer a bit of size and energy to the Calgary lineup should he be inserted. The Flames lost 4-1 at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, a game in which they were thoroughly outplayed.
  • After clearing waivers, the Washington Capitals have sent Aaron Ness to Hershey of the AHL. Ness’ departure opens the door for a return of Christian Djoos to the Washington lineup, which is expected tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings.
  • Danick Martel is headed back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after a short stint with Philadelphia. Martel played four games with the Flyers over the past week, but wasn’t able to record his first NHL point. The 22-year old was signed out of the QMJHL in 2015 after going undrafted, and has been a solid offensive contributor in the AHL.
  • After Niklas Hjalmarsson left last night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers with an upper-body injury, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled Andrew Campbell from the AHL. Campbell signed a two-year deal to return to the Coyotes organization this summer after two seasons with Toronto, but hadn’t gotten into an NHL game yet. The 29-year old defenseman has just 42 contests and two points under his belt, and is just a short-term depth option for the club at this point.

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