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Minor Transactions: 02/08/20

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There are a dozen games on the docket today, with start times spanning over eight hours. The action begins with a pair of matinees featuring Western Conference teams in desperate need of points to stay relevant, the Winnipeg Jets and Arizona Coyotes. The night will be capped off with the Carolina Hurricanes facing the Vegas Golden Knights. If the playoffs started today, Vegas would not only be in but would avoid a wild card berth despite having the 16th-best record in the NHL, while Carolina would be on the outside looking in with the 12th-best record. Every game counts at this time of year, especially as time ticks down on the trade deadline with a number of teams trying to decide if they will be buyers or sellers. Every roster move matters as well, and there should be a number of them given the heavy slate of action this weekend. Keep up with all those transactions right here:

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled rookie defenseman Martin Fehervary from the AHL, the team announced. Fehervary is expected to draw into the lineup immediately tonight in place of Nick Jensen. Fehervary, 20, has only played in four games with the Washington Capitals this year but has played meaningful minutes in each appearance. In 45 games with the Hershey Bears this season, Fehervary has 14 points, among the leaders in first-year defensemen in the AHL.
  • Following back-to-back games over the past two nights, the Buffalo Sabres are one of just seven teams with Saturday night off. They have used the occasion to reassign youngsters Rasmus Asplund and Lawrence Pilut to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, the team announced. Pilut has been held scoreless through ten games with Buffalo this season but has 22 points in 30 games with Rochester. Asplund has featured more prominently with the Sabres, albeit recording only three points in 29 games, but has eight points in 18 AHL games as well.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have assigned Ryan Poehling to Laval of the AHL.  After recording a hat-trick in his NHL debut last season, he has struggled offensively this season, recording just one goal and one assist in 27 games.  Montreal has had several players dealing with the flu in recent days – including Poehling himself – so this move is a sign that some players are starting to get healthier.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned Cody Glass to AHL Chicago per a team release.  The rookie last played on January 4th and has been out with a lower-body injury since then.  It’s not a conditioning stint but he’ll get a chance to log some big minutes with the Wolves and play in more offensive-oriented situations than he has in Vegas.  Through 37 NHL games this season, the 20-year-old has five goals and seven assists.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Dennis Cholowski back to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The team’s 2016 first-rounder has split his sophomore season between the Red Wings and the Griffins. He has two goals and eight points in 33 games with Detroit, while scoring two goals and seven points in 19 games with the Griffins.

Trade Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

If one didn’t know any better (and one doesn’t), it might look like Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings are actually trying to lose as many games as possible this season. The club is on pace to record the third worst season in franchise history, only ahead of the 1985-86 and 1976-77 teams that both finished with fewer than 20 wins. Even amid that chaos and defeat, the team has acquired a few young pieces that could be used as building blocks or perhaps trade bait in the coming months.

Record

12-38-4, 8th in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$9.49MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: DET 1st, DET 2nd, WSH 2nd, DET 3rd, SJS 3rd, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
2021: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, VGK 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

When you’re having this kind of disastrous season, it’s hard to find a lot of trade bait on the roster. Even players who may otherwise have held some like Mike Green, Luke Glendening and Patrik Nemeth have had brutal years, making it hard to argue they would be an upgrade for a contender even as depth options.

The Red Wings do have some interesting names to keep an eye on though, and they may not be who you expect. Because the team is at the very beginning of a rebuild and will need several years of growth before they are considered playoff contenders, players entering their mid-twenties with expiring contracts may become trade bait. Adam Erne, Taro Hirose, Robby Fabbri, Brendan Perlini and Madison Bowey are all scheduled to become restricted free agents this summer and have held relatively high levels of potential in the past. Perhaps Yzerman can cash in one of these names for a draft pick or two, given it seems unlikely that they’re all back in similar roles next season.

There are a trio of other names that obviously draw the eye when looking at the Detroit roster however. Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi and Andreas Athanasiou have all shown they can perform at a very high level in the NHL and will all need new deals this summer. For the first two, extensions (long-term or short) seem in order. Mantha and Bertuzzi have both played well enough this season to continue on the path with Detroit, unless something really catches Yzerman’s fancy while he’s talking to other front offices.

That leaves Athanasiou however, who has still scored just five goals this season after recording 30 in 2018-19. The blazing fast winger has dealt with injuries but is now back playing for the Red Wings and could be seen as a legitimate buy-low candidate for some other teams. His speed can be game changing, but it hasn’t been used enough this year.

One other position to mention is goaltender, where the Red Wings have two veterans that could be of use. Jimmy Howard is approaching his 36th birthday and has struggled this year, but has plenty of postseason experience. Jonathan Bernier on the other hand is younger and has played well enough, but is still signed for another season at $3MM.

Five Players To Watch For: F Andreas Athanasiou, D Trevor Daley, F Luke Glendening, F Robby Fabbri, G Jonathan Bernier

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks: You can bet that Yzerman doesn’t want to remain at the bottom of the standings for very long, but if his tenure in Tampa Bay taught us anything it is that he wants a fully-stocked system. The Lightning constantly drafted and developed young talent from within, routinely calling up players that had dominated the minor leagues only to see them make an impact in the NHL right away. The Red Wings need to amass as many picks as possible for Yzerman to create that kind of pipeline, and this deadline should help get him a few more.

2) Young Defense: There are defensemen coming, but it’s hard to say which ones will be able to handle the NHL load at this point and which ones will be complementary pieces. Adding prospects or minor league players on the back end is a must at this point—even if Mortiz Seider does look like he might be Yzerman’s new version of Victor Hedman.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 02/05/20

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While the MLB dominates the newsstands with some blockbuster deals yesterday, hockey fans will soon turn back to their beloved NHL and the race to the trade deadline. Things are heating up around the league with rumors swirling around any team within a few points of the playoffs, and there is bound to be some movement in the coming weeks. As teams prepare for all that action they have games to play and minor moves to make in order to ice full rosters. We’ll keep track of all those smaller moves right here:

  • The Washington Capitals have returned Martin Fehervary and Vitek Vanecek to the minor leagues after just one game, which only the former took part in. Fehervary ended up playing nearly 20 minutes for the Capitals last night in their comeback win against the Los Angeles Kings, and will likely be back up at some point for the team. Vanecek meanwhile was just insurance after Ilya Samsonov left practice, but Braden Holtby got the start and stopped 29 of 31 shots.
  • Matiss Kivlenieks, Jakob Lilja and Andrew Peeke have all been sent to the AHL by the Columbus Blue Jackets, with some other names nearing a return. Josh Anderson and Ryan Murray are both close to jumping back into the lineup for the Blue Jackets, who outlasted the Florida Panthers last night for a 1-0 overtime win.
  • Taro Hirose and Gustav Lindstrom appear ready to get a chance at the NHL, after being recalled by the Detroit Red Wings. To make room on the roster both Frans Nielsen and Mike Green have been placed on injured reserve. Hirose has played 23 games for the Red Wings this season, but Lindstrom will be making his NHL debut whenever he gets in the lineup. The 21-year old defenseman was selected 38th overall in 2017 and is in his first year of North American professional hockey.
  • Speaking of making a debut, Andrei Chibisov has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets for the first time this season. The 26-year old was signed out of the KHL last summer and has 24 points in 46 games for the Manitoba Moose. To make room, Cameron Schilling has been returned to the AHL.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Scott Wilson from the minor leagues, while sending Jean-Sebastien Dea back down. The Sabres are dealing with a long list of injuries at the NHL and AHL levels while also plummeting in the standings.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have assigned Mark Barberio to the AHL for a conditioning stint, while recalling Calle Rosen. Rosen, acquired last summer in the deal that brought Nazem Kadri to town, played eight games earlier in the season for the Avalanche and recorded two points.

Eastern Notes: Mantha, Johansson, Dobson, Paul

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The Detroit Red Wings lost Filip Zadina for two to three weeks, but the team did get a boost of good news as winger Anthony Mantha practiced with the first time since he suffered a mid-body injury on Dec. 21 against Toronto when Jake Muzzin slammed him to the ice, according to NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji. The 25-year-old was wearing an orange no-contact jersey, but it’s step in the right direction for the winger who has appeared in just 29 games this season.

“I’m feeling better,” Mantha said. “Obviously today was the first practice with the team, so it feels good mentally. Physically, I’ve been getting better over the last couple of weeks. I can’t complain.”

Mantha was playing well, posting 12 goals and 24 points in those 29 games and was looking to potentially post career highs, but now will look to help the Red Wings offense, which has struggled for most of the year.

  • In his most recent mailbag, the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski writes that the Buffalo Sabres might be interested in taking a long look at 24-year-old prospect goaltender Jonas Johansson, who will be a restricted free agent next year and could be a candidate to replace Carter Hutton next season if he fares well, assuming they can move Hutton. Johansson has played well with the Rochester Americans this year, posting a 2.19 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 20 games. The team might also want to avoid keeping Johansson in Rochester next year, which could block the path when top goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen becomes a full-time AHL goalie.
  • When the New York Islanders lost defenseman Adam Pelech for the season due to an Achilles’ tendon injury, many thought that rookie Noah Dobson would be the recipient of the extra minutes that the team lost. Instead, Newsday’s Andrew Gross writes that head coach Barry Trotz has relied on his five veteran blueliners and continues to hold Dobson out of key moments in games. Dobson doesn’t play in the third period at all in tight games. The five veterans are forced to take extra shifts in order to replace Dobson, who refers to the situation as five and a half defenders, but doesn’t feel the extra ice time is having a negative effect on the other five defenders.
  • Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Ottawa Senators forward Nick Paul is skating again and should be able to return at some point this week. The 24-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain on Jan. 7 against the Capitals and deemed to be out for four weeks, which is right on schedule. Paul has six goals and 13 points in 38 games this season.

 

Red Wings Get Back Athanasiou, Lose Zadina For 2-3 Weeks

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One forward in, one forward out. Head coach Jeff Blashill said that forward Andreas Athanasiou was ready to return to the team on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji. However, the team also announced that young forward Filip Zadina will be out for the next two to three weeks after suffering a lower-body injury.

It’s believed that Athanasiou, who has been out since Dec. 29 with a lower-body injury, is expected to join the team and likely will take Zadina’s spot on the first line. Unfortunately for Athanasiou, the 25-year-old forward has struggled terribly this season after posting a 30-goal campaign in 2018-19. He currently has just five goals and 19 points in 36 games, far from the expectations that were set from their speedy forward. The team had hoped he had turned the corner, but now might even be a trade candidate as he will hit restricted free agency this summer and could require a significant payday even with his struggles so far. However, Detroit might still have some time to showcase him, especially if the forward has an opportunity to get first-line minutes for the next few weeks. The Red Wings will have to activate Athanasiou still, but that move may not come until Monday.

As for Zadina, it looks like the injury came Friday during the team’s 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. However, Zadina played through the injury and played the full game on Saturday. In fact, Zadina broke the 20-minute mark for just the second time in his career on Saturday despite the injury. The timing, however, is disappointing as Zadina has seen an uptick in his minutes, while starting to produce like the player the team drafted in 2018 with the sixth-overall pick. He has five goals over the past 11 games and has established himself as a top-six player on a team that needs scoring.

Wikiji also notes that forward Frans Nielsen is expected to be out Monday with an upper-body injury, but is considered day-to-day.

Morning Notes: Kreider, Kapanen, Muzzin, Markstrom

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The New York Rangers seemingly avoided disaster last night, as star Chris Kreider suffered an injury that appears to have looked worse than it actually was. A prone Kreider took an accidental knee to the head from teammate Mika Zibanejad early in the second period of Saturday’s match-up with the Detroit Red Wings and he did not return to the game. Head coach David Quinn, like any who witnessed the incident, was fearful that Kreider may have suffered a serious head injury. However, he told the media, including The New York Posts’ Brett Cygralis, that he felt much better after seeing Kreider after the game. “That looked like a really severe blow to the head,” Quinn said. “He wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought he would be. After the game ended, we talked, and it’s a lot better than I anticipated.” Quinn stated definitively that Kreider did not suffer a concussion, but the team is considering him day-to-day nonetheless. Kreider is simultaneously the best trade chip on the rental market and one of the Rangers’ most important pieces as they continue to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Fans of both trading Kreider or keeping and re-signing him know that a serious injury at this point in the year would have been a nightmare in either scenario. Fortunately, it sounds as though Kreider will be fine and could be back in action in no time.

  • Another surprise development from Saturday night was the absence of Kasperi Kapanen in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. Kapanen was made a healthy scratch by head coach Sheldon Keefe, but prior to game time there was no word as to why. Speaking to the media, including TSN’s Kristen Shilton, after the game, Keefe clarified the situation with Kapanen. Keefe stated that Kapanen was a healthy scratch, essentially serving a one-game suspension for what he called an issue of “internal accountability’”. He added that it was a one-time thing and the decision was only made yesterday morning, but he would not go into any more detail. More information may emerge when Kapanen has media availability on Monday. In the meantime, speculation has begun that Kapanen, a frequent name on the rumor mill, could be on the outs with Keefe and his staff. With the rest of the Maple Leafs playing well since Keefe took over, perhaps Kapanen will end up being the winger dealt out of Toronto at some point.
  • Impending free agent defenseman Jake Muzzin would like to stay in Toronto, but Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston says that it is not that simple. Johnston hears that early extension talks have been difficult due to the Maple Leafs’ cap constraints and the potential market value of Muzzin. With St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo and Boston’s Torey Krug both considered likely candidates to sign extensions, Muzzin would enter the conversation as the top defender available on the open market this summer. While he may be willing to take a slight discount to stay in Toronto, the potential to command a top-of-the-market contract if he opts for free agency will certainly play a major role in extension talks. The Maple Leafs may be unwilling or unable to pay him even close to what the top UFA defenseman will get this summer.
  • Vancouver Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom is another name who has made it known that he would like to re-sign, though acknowledging that he could have considerable value in the free agent market. Markstrom, an All-Star this season, has quietly positioned himself to be one of the best available in a weak goalie market should he opt for that route. However, Markstrom would prefer to stay in Vancouver and he and the team have been working toward an extension, Johnston reports. However, with Thatcher Demko showing NHL ability this season and Michael DiPietro also in the pipeline, the Canucks will be wary of going overboard on salary or term to keep Markstrom. The contract offer that keeps coming up is of a two-year term, keeping Markstrom in Vancouver through the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. This would give the team another year to decide whether Demko is the real deal or if they are better off moving forward with Markstrom, as either would could be a tempting target for the Seattle expansion franchise. Johnston’s colleague Elliotte Friedman adds that, as for salary, the most recent offer to Markstrom is rumored to be similar to the two-year, $9MM deal signed by Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper in October.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Fabbri, Nesterov

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The NHL announced it’s three stars for the month of January and they happen to be three bona fide NHL superstars. The first star is Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals’ cornerstone and captain, who recorded a whopping 13 goals as well as a pair of assists in just ten games. In doing so, Ovechkin passed Teemu Selanne, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, and Mark Messier to move into eight place on the NHL’s career goals list. At 695 career goals, Ovechkin is just five away from joining an elite group with 700 career goals and would need just nine more after that to pass Mike Gartner, the next name on the list. Career numbers aside, the 34-year-old is also tied for the league lead in goals this season with David Pastrnak and could be on his way to yet another Rocket Richard Trophy. The second star belongs to Leon Draisaitl, who has shown this season that he is far more than just Connor McDavid’s right-hand man. With 17 points in just nine games, Draisaitl led the league in per game scoring in January and overtook McDavid with a league-leading 79 points. Draisaitl and McDavid are currently on pace for 127 and 124 points respectively and have a chance at becoming just the fourth pair of teammates and the first since Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96 to each crack 130 points on the year. Finally, the third star went to Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. After a slow start to the season for both Vasilevskiy and the Bolts, January could not have gone much better. The team went 10-2-1 behind a 9-0-1 record from Vasilevskiy, who posted a stunning .948 save percentage and 1.58 GAA. All three marks from Vasilevskiy, as well as Tampa’s record, led the NHL this past month.

  • One other player who has been hot of late is Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri. Fabbri, whose career with the St. Louis Blues got off to a fast start but had been derailed by injury and inconsistency over the past two years, has found new life since being acquired by the Red Wings back in early November. Fabbri has recorded 25 points in 35 games, trailing only Anthony Mantha for the team lead in points per game. Fabbri is on pace to shatter his offensive career highs across the board in his first season with Detroit and understandably would like to stay. He tells Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that he sees the upside in the young, rebuilding club and would like to be a part of it for as long as possible. Fabbri will be a restricted free agent this summer and will look to sign on long-term with the Red Wings if he can.
  • Despite NHL interest, it does not sound as though KHL defenseman Nikita Nesterov is looking to return to the league just yet, if at all. The CSKA Moscow standout has been dominant both in the KHL and on the international stage since he last played in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens in 2016-17, transforming into one of the top defensemen in Russia. With his current contract coming to a close, there had been some speculation that he would try to use his success in the KHL over the past three years as a platform to return to the NHL, but it seems his career aspirations lie elsewhere. CSKA has shared a recent Q&A in which Nesterov claims that he is hoping to stay in Moscow. He acknowledges that the NHL is the best league in the world and that he enjoyed his time there and has at least considered offers to return, but in the end he feels his KHL career has been more meaningful. That is why, as he notes, he has instructed his agent to begin negotiations on an extension with CSKA with hopes of signing on for another five years. That lengthy term, even for a 26-year-old, could mean that his NHL days are over, but at the very least it will likely be some time before he ever returns to action in North America.

Minor Transactions: 2/1/20

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The bye weeks are now over which means an uptick in games across the league.  Saturday is typically a busy day around the NHL but with 28 teams in action today, it’s even busier than normal.  There should be plenty of roster movement as a result which we’ll keep tabs on here.

  • The Blue Jackets announced the recall of defenseman Andrew Peeke from AHL Cleveland. They had just six healthy blueliners on their roster so the 21-year-old will likely serve as injury insurance for the time being.  He has one assist in seven games with Columbus so far this season while averaging 12:27 per game.
  • Late Friday, the Golden Knights made a pair of roster moves, per team releases. They returned goalie Oscar Dansk to Chicago of the AHL which comes as no surprise now that Marc-Andre Fleury has served his one-game suspension for withdrawing from the All-Star Game.  The other was the recall of defenseman Zach Whitecloud.  He played one game with Vegas in 2018 after signing with them but since then has played exclusively with the Wolves, where he has two goals and five assists in 35 games this season.
  • With Oliver Ekman-Larsson leaving Thursday’s game with an injury, the Coyotes announced that they have recalled defenseman Kyle Capobianco from AHL Tucson. The 22-year-old has played in eight games with Arizona this season but has spent most of the year with the Roadrunners where he has been quite productive with 21 points in 26 games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have activated goaltender Jonathan Bernier off of injured reserve and as a result, have assigned Calvin Pickard back to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Bernier has been out of the Detroit lineup since Jan. 10 with a lower-body injury. Pickard has appeared in three games for Detroit and struggled immensely, posting a .797 save percentage.
  • CapFriendly reports that the San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Maxim Letunov from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. The 23-year-old has fared well this year in the AHL already passing his points total from last year. He has 10 goals and 30 points in 39 games.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled forward Sam Lafferty from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. The 24-year-old has already appeared in 36 games with Pittsburgh, scoring four goals and 10 points. He was returned to the AHL, where he has had three goals in six games.

Minor Transactions: 01/30/20

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The hockey world got what it was waiting for last night when Zack Kassian and Matthew Tkachuk finally dropped the gloves in what was a fiery edition of the battle of Alberta. While many gave the decision to the bigger Edmonton Oilers forward, the same can’t be said for the outcome of the game. The Oilers were defeated in a shootout by the Calgary Flames and are now two points behind their provincial rivals in the standings. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league today as teams prepare for their own battles this evening:

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Karson Kuhlman and Jeremy Lauzon from the AHL, as they prepare to return to action after ten days off. The Bruins are on a two-game road trip that will stop in Winnipeg and Minnesota on back-to-back nights, and need all the healthy bodies they can get.
  • The Jets made a pair of moves themselves as they prepare for Boston tomorrow night, recalling Cameron Schilling and Logan Shaw. The 31-year old Schilling still hasn’t played in an NHL game this season, but does have 20 points in 42 games for the Manitoba Moose.
  • The Florida Panthers have recalled both Riley Stillman and Sam Montembeault, as they get ready for an afternoon tilt on Saturday. Florida can potentially put a fork in division-rival Montreal with a win, putting them 12 points up in the standings.
  • Givani Smith, Filip Zadina and Dennis Cholowski have all been recalled as the youth movement continues for the Detroit Red Wings. All three players figure to be core pieces for the squad moving forward and will get a chance down the stretch to really establish themselves.
  • Connor Bunnaman and Alex Lyon have been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers, who are still waiting on Carter Hart’s return from injury. The team will use Brian Elliott for the time being, but need their young star goaltender back as soon as possible.
  • After being taken along on the road with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tyler Gaudet is on his way back to the AHL. Toronto gave Gaudet a chance to come with them when they visited Nashville, the organization that had him for parts of the last two seasons. He isn’t expected to see any NHL action for the Maple Leafs.
  • Chase De Leo is on the way back the San Diego Gulls, assigned today to the AHL. The 24-year old has played just a single game this season with the Anaheim Ducks, and just four in his career.
  • With Marc-Andre Fleury forced to miss a game after pulling out of the All-Star festivities, the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Oskar Dansk. Nicolas Roy is coming with him with William Karlsson and Cody Glass still injured.

Minor Transactions: 01/26/20

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The 2020 NHL All-Star Game is in the books. The 3-on-3 tournament produced a familiar result, with the Pacific Division taking home the title. In five years under this All-Star format, the Pacific has won three times and the Metropolitan twice, with the Atlantic and Central still seeking a title. The Atlantic got close yesterday; after winning their first game 9-5 over the Metro, the Atlantic suffered a 5-4 loss in a much tighter game against the Pacific, who had also blown out their first game against the Central, 10-5. Unsurprisingly, the celebrity captain assigned to the Pacific was Wayne Gretzky, who always has the hockey gods on his side. Despite the final loss, Boston forward David Pastrnak was voted the MVP of the All-Star tournament with a total of four goals and six points (if only Pastrnak could help his Bruins – league leaders in OT/SO losses by a wide margin – improve on their 3-on-3).

Now, with many teams returning to action on Monday, be prepared for a flurry of activity today, as evidenced by an early start. Many minor moves will be filed before games resume tomorrow night, so keep up with all of today’s transactions here:

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled forwards Drake Batherson and Filip Chlapik from AHL Belleville, the team announced. Chlapik has skated in 23 games with Ottawa this season, recording five points, while Batherson has a pair of points in nine NHL games. Batherson though has largely spent his year in the AHL, where he has compiled 46 points in 37 games – the league’s third-highest scorer. In fact, Batherson was supposed to be in attendance at today’s AHL All-Star event in Ontario, California, but apparently will be a last-minute absence.
  • According to CapFriendly, the Anaheim Ducks have reversed the exact move the team made eight days ago before their bye week began. Blake Pietila has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, having not gotten into any NHL games still thus year, while fellow forwards Max Jones, Chase De Leo, and Troy Terry have been recalled. Following a long-term injury, Terry needed the extra game action in the minors over the break, but both he and Jones have played in 30+ games with the Ducks this season and look like NHL fixtures moving forward. De Leo on the other hand has only skated in one game with Anaheim this year and is still working toward proving himself.
  • CapFriendly also adds that the Tampa Bay Lightning have brought veteran defenseman Luke Schenn and young forward Mitchell Stephens back to the NHL ranks. Schenn has cleared waivers multiple times this season and looks like a capable and flexible depth option for the team down the stretch, even if his usage has been limited thus far. Stephens, 22, is still waiver exempt and has split his season evenly between the NHL and AHL, contributing at both levels.
  • After several injury-plagued seasons and a failed attempt at earning a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in training camp, veteran goaltender Michal Neuvirth has decided to return to his roots, perhaps until he calls it a career. Neuvirth has signed with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga, returning to the organization that he grew up in as a developing teenager before embarking on a pro career in North America. The team’s press release reveals that Neuvirth, who trains with the team during summers, has also been working with them over the past couple of months before deciding he was ready for game action. They note that persistent injuries remain a concern, but that the opportunity is there for Neuvirth to seize the starting job and perhaps earn a contract extension beyond this season.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The Sabres are overloaded with defenders, but Pilut’s production in the minors this season – 22 points in 30 games – has left them with little choice but to keep giving him NHL looks.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL on emergency conditions, while sending goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the ECHL ’s Toledo Walleye. Pickard will likely take over backup duties while Jonathan Bernier works his way back from a lower-body injury.
  • The Nashville Predators announced they have recalled three players from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, including forwards Colton Sissons, Yakov Trenin and defenseman Jarred Tinordi. Sissons spent the past week practicing with the Milwaukee after missing 10 games with the Predators due to a lower-body injury. Trenin has become a popular figure after he went toe-to-toe with Boston’s Zdeno Chara several weeks ago. He has two goals and six points in 13 games where he is averaging just 10:33 of ATOI. He has 31 hits in those 13 contests. Tinordi has appeared in seven games, averaging 14:12.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled forward Tyler Gaudet of the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The 26-year-old has two goals and 13 points for the Marlies this year in 39 games. Gaudet, considered to be a tireless worker, has been a favorite of head coach Sheldon Keefe for years. Gaudet played for him back in the CCHL with the Pembroke Lumber Kings during the 2012-2013 season and then again with the Soo Greyhounds between 2012-14.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced they have assigned forward Jansen Harkins to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, so Harkins could play in the AHL All-Star Game. The Jets replaced him on the roster with forward Cameron Schilling. The move was necessarily even though Winnipeg doesn’t play again until Jan. 31, because the team must keep a 20-man roster and by sending Harkins down, the Jets had no choice but to recall Schilling.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced they have recalled forwards Joel Kellman, Dylan Gambrell and Antti Suomela from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. That reverses a move made before the team’s break with the exception of Gambrell, who replaces Joachim Blichfeld on the NHL roster. Gambrell played 30 games with the Sharks, but was assigned to the Barracuda to work on his game where he had 12 points in 15 games there.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Buddy Robinson from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 28-year-old forward is having a solid season with the Heat, posting 16 goals and 30 points in 40 games. Robinson has played in seven NHL games over the course of his career (all with Ottawa), but hasn’t appeared in a game since 2016-17.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled two players in Blake Lizotte and Matt Luff from the Ontario Reign of the AHL, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. Both players were sent down before the break. Lizotte was out with a lower-body injury and hasn’t been in the lineup since Jan. 8. He played one game for Ontario over the break, but is expected back in the lineup. He has four goals and 15 points over 45 games. Luff has five points in 17 games with the Kings.

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