- Veteran Eric Tangradi has decided to return for a second stint with the Red Wings organization as their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids announced that they’ve signed the winger for the rest of the season. He had been playing with Barys Astana in the KHL prior to the move. Tangradi has a total of 150 career NHL games under his belt including six with New Jersey last season.
Red Wings Rumors
Andreas Athanasiou Looking More And More Like A Trade Candidate
Andreas Athanasiou has been wildly inconsistent throughout his NHL career. After scoring 30 goals last season though, it looked like he was emerging as a key piece of the puzzle for the Red Wings. However, he has struggled considerably this season with just five goals in 28 games along with a league-worst -31 rating. To that end, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that GM Steve Yzerman could be reaching the point where he believes it’s time to move on from the winger. Athanasiou is one of several wingers that are slated to become restricted free agents and it’s likely that they’ll be seeking long-term pacts with Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi. Given Athanasiou’s struggles though, it’s harder to envision them pursuing a long-term deal with him at this time. Of course, the timing for a trade isn’t ideal as they’d be selling low so if Yzerman does decide to move on, the offseason may be the better time to pull the trigger on a deal.
Minor Transactions: 12/06/19
The NHL has just five games on the schedule for this evening, including Phil Kessel’s return to Pittsburgh and a matchup of two last place teams in New Jersey. As teams prepare for a big weekend, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Aleksi Saarela for the first time since acquiring him from the Chicago Blackhawks in late-October. Saarela has now amazingly been traded three times in his short career but is still waiting for his first NHL opportunity. The 22-year old was picked in the third round by the New York Rangers and was originally part of the deal for Eric Staal in 2016.
- Jonathan Davidsson, another one of the Ottawa Senators’ top prospects, has been recalled to the NHL once again. The 22-year old forward was part of the return for Matt Duchene last season and made his debut for the club earlier this year.
- Because the Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t playing today, they’ve sent Cory Conacher back to the minor leagues. Conacher has served as injury insurance the last while for the Lightning, but Alex Killorn was healthy enough to suit up last night.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Filip Zadina as expected, after giving him the week with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Red Wings had several days off between games, during which Zadina played another AHL game to stay fresh.
- Boo Nieves is on his way back to the AHL, assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers today. Nieves has played four games in the NHL this season but is still more of a minor league depth option at this point.
- Cameron Schilling has been returned to the Manitoba Moose without playing in a single game for the Winnipeg Jets. The 31-year old defenseman has just ten NHL games over his career, four of which came last season with the Jets.
- Otto Koivula has been returned to the AHL after playing fewer than five minutes in his last game for the New York Islanders. The young forward is an interesting prospect, but was seeing so little ice time in his first NHL season that the minor leagues may still be best for his development.
- Nikolay Goldobin has been returned to the AHL after playing just a single game for the Vancouver Canucks since his recall two weeks ago. The 24-year old has been great at the minor league level once again, but can’t seem to get himself a chance at the NHL.
Justin Abdelkader Nearing A Return
- Red Wings winger Justin Abdelkader is nearing a return to the lineup. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press notes that he returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday and could be available for their next game on Saturday. The veteran has been out with a mid-body injury since November 10th and would be a welcome addition to a Detroit lineup that has been hit hard by the injury bug and has lost ten straight games.
PHR Originals: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19
In an otherwise quiet week for news and action, with three different days of three games or less, PHR’s writers stayed busy with some original articles:
Brian La Rose began our annual holiday series “What Your Team Is Thankful For”. Going alphabetically, he took a look at Anaheim, Arizona, and Boston. The league leading Bruins obviously have plenty to be thankful for, but so too do the Coyotes, who currently hold a top-ten record in the NHL. There’s room for improvement in Arizona, but the team has to be happy with how the season has gone thus far. Anaheim however has a hefty wish list this holiday season, needing more out of their young forward corps and a difference-maker on defense. Stay tuned for more write-ups from Brian on the other 28 teams as we march toward 2020.
Sticking with the holiday theme, I outlined the recent trend of the standings at American Thanksgiving being a strong playoff predictor and asked who could be the outlier teams that qualify for the postseason this year after missing the mark on Turkey Day. The readers responded very favorably toward one team in each conference – the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights. If only those two teams turn things around this season, then the current standings already reflect 14 of 16 playoff teams.
Gavin also offered a poll to the readers, asking who might be the early favorite for the Hart Trophy this season as NHL MVP. Gavin detailed the accomplishments to this point in the year of a number of the game’s biggest names, but voters gravitated toward two forwards on ungodly scoring paces. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid already has almost 50 points and is currently on pace for 144 points, while Boston’s David Pastrnak has 24 goals in 26 games and looks poised to score 75+ goals at this rate. However, do the presences of Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand also among the league’s top scorers hurt their teammates’ Hart cases? Could the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and John Carlson swoop in as more “valuable” candidates?
In my bi-weekly piece, I took a look at the happenings in college hockey of late. As Hockey East teams continue to underwhelm this year, especially Boston University, other northeast schools have filled the top-ten void in Cornell, Clarkson, and Harvard. Meanwhile, Minnesota may not be a top contender in the Big Ten this year, but added another talented recruit to an impressive incoming class. And college hockey will continue in Alaska, at least for now.
Finally, Gavin hosted his weekly chat, with topics ranging from coaches on the hot seat, the sustainability of upstart teams, and franchise building blocks. The Red Wings, Predators, and Senators received some special attention in yet another great segment.
For all of the original work from PHR’s writers, be sure to keep up with all of the action each and every day!
Minor Transactions: 12/1/19
When thinking of the Minnesota Wild and their history, several players may come to mind, but perhaps one of the most significant is Mikko Koivu, who has played his entire career in Minnesota and will be playing in his 1,000th game as a member of the Wild. The 36-year-old has struggled over the last couple of years with injuries and a decline in play (although he remains a solid defensive center), but he hits a major milestone Sunday when the Dallas Stars come to town.
- The Washington Capitals announced they have re-assigned forward Beck Malenstyn and defenseman Christian Djoos to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The move is likely a precursor to the team getting back some of their veteran players in the coming days. The team is expected to activate Carl Hagelin off of LTIR prior to Tuesday’s game against San Jose, while center Nicklas Backstrom is also near a return.
- The Boston Bruins announced the team has assigned defenseman John Moore to the Providence Bruins on a LTIR conditioning loan. Moore has been out all season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and now is close to returning. The team also announced that they have assigned forward Jack Studnicka to Providence as well. Studnicka made his NHL debut on Tuesday, picking up his first NHL point. The 20-year-old has nine goals and 18 points in 21 AHL games as well.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled defenseman Jonathan Ericsson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL and returned goaltender Calvin Pickard there. Ericsson was assigned to Grand Rapids on Saturday, likely a paper transaction, while Pickard can now be returned after the Red Wings acquiregoaltender Eric Comrie in a trade.
- The St. Louis Blues have assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The 25-year-old has dominated for the Rampage this year, scoring 18 points in 20 games and appeared in back-to-back games with the Blues this weekend. With Robert Bortuzzo back from his four-game suspension, Pouliot wasn’t needed anymore.
- With Travis Hamonic nearing a return, the Calgary Flames have returned Alexander Yelesin to the minor leagues. Yelesin has yet to get into an NHL game with the Flames, but has two points in 15 games with the Stockton Heat in his first year of North American professional hockey.
Red Wings Acquire Eric Comrie
With Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta entrenched as the one-two punch in Arizona, it was only a matter of time before goalie Eric Comrie was on the move again. That trade has now occurred with the Coyotes announcing that they’ve dealt him to the Red Wings in exchange for defenseman Vili Saarijarvi.
Comrie joined Arizona via waiver claim at the beginning of the season with Raanta unavailable to play. However, he didn’t dress for them upon his return so he hasn’t played at all in 2019-20 with the exception of a four-game conditioning stint with AHL Tucson where he posted a 2.75 GAA and a .900 SV% in that stretch. The 24-year-old has a total of five NHL games under his belt from his time with Winnipeg (who drafted him in the second round back in 2013), collecting a 4.21 GAA with a .870 SV%. He’s in the first season of a two-year deal that carries a $700K cap hit. It’s a two-way contract this season and converts to a one-way pact for 2020-21.
Comrie will find himself serving a similar role with Detroit. Jimmy Howard was placed on injured reserve yesterday while Jonathan Bernier was forced to play part of a game despite being quite sick earlier in the week. With Bernier now healthy, Calvin Pickard will likely return to AHL Grand Rapids and Comrie will serve as the backup until Howard returns at which point he’ll be a third-string option once again.
As for Saarijarvi, he was a 2015 third-round pick of Detroit. He was an offensive threat at the major junior level with stints in Flint and Mississauga of the OHL but that hasn’t translated to much success in the pros yet. He has played in 13 AHL games with the Griffins this season, recording just a single assist. The 22-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level deal and carries a cap hit that’s just under $698K.
Minor Transactions: 11/30/19
As usual, Saturday presents a large slate of games around the league with 26 teams in action. That means there will likely be plenty of roster movement which we’ll keep track of here.
- The Golden Knights announced that they’ve returned goalie Garret Sparks to Chicago of the AHL. He was brought up on an emergency basis to serve as the backup while Marc-Andre Fleury tended to an illness in the family but it appears that Fleury is ready to return. The team also announced they have recalled forward Nicolas Roy from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. Roy has been up and down between Vegas and Chicago for much of the season. The 22-year-old has played in six games for the Golden Knights, scoring a goal and three points and has appeared in 11 games for the Wolves, tallying two goals and six points. Since it’s an emergency recall, Roy could be recalled while the team determines if Cody Eakin is seriously hurt after taking an elbow to the head Friday against Arizona.
- A.J. Greer’s stint with the Avalanche was short-lived. One day after being recalled, he has been returned to AHL Colorado, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. The winger has had two NHL call-ups this season but has yet to play with the big club. Greer has two goals and 44 penalty minutes in nine games with the Eagles so far.
- The Avs also announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned center Sheldon Dries to the minors. He has just one NHL game under his belt this season after playing 40 a year ago. He has been productive with the Eagles though, leading them in scoring with 14 points in 17 contests.
- With Carl Soderberg suffering a lower-body injury late yesterday against Vegas, the Coyotes have recalled center Michael Chaput from AHL Tucson. This will be his first NHL action of the season but the 27-year-old got into 32 games with Montreal last year. He has 12 points (9-3-12) in 15 games with the Roadrunners.
- The Jets announced that they have placed defenseman Nathan Beaulieu on IR, creating a roster spot that they used to recall defenseman Cameron Schilling from AHL Manitoba. With Beaulieu and Dmitry Kulikov both injured, Winnipeg needed to get an extra defender on the roster. The 31-year-old has just 10 games of NHL experience but has played in 512 AHL contests.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Jonathan Ericsson to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The 35-year-old has been a major piece to the Red Wings success over the years, but has been the odd man out as Detroit continues to get younger. Ericsson made the team out of camp, but was placed on waivers on Oct. 23 and sent to the Griffins where he played 10 games for the AHL squad. He was recalled again due to injuries on Nov. 14 and now returns to Grand Rapids. Ericsson is on the final year of a six-year, $25.5MM contract.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have assigned defenseman Jacob Larsson to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Larsson appeared in 25 games for the Ducks so far this season in a bottom-pairing role with a goal, two assists and a minus-three rating, while averaging 17:31 ATOI.
Jimmy Howard Placed On Injured Reserve
The Detroit Red Wings have activated Mike Green from injured reserve and is available for this afternoon’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The same can’t be said about Jimmy Howard, who has been moved to injured reserve. Head coach Jeff Blashill would only say that Howard is out at least seven days from when he was injured against the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week. Jonathan Bernier and Calvin Pickard will be the tandem this afternoon.
Green hasn’t played in ten days since leaving a game against the Ottawa Senators, and hasn’t been quite his effective self this season. In 19 games he has just four points, only two of which have come at even-strength. The 34-year old is still averaging more than 21 minutes, but that is more an indictment of the rest of the Red Wings’ defenders than it is a celebration of his play.
If he can get back to full health and show a glimpse of his former self however, there’s a good bet that Green’s name will start coming up in trade speculation as the season continues. The veteran right-handed defenseman is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and though he currently holds a full no-trade clause, it will change into a 10-team no-trade list on February, 2020.
Minor Transactions: 11/28/19
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers, who will have to go almost hockey-less today. With the NFL taking over the airwaves, just one NHL game is scheduled. That one takes place in Montreal, where the Canadiens will welcome back P.K. Subban as a New Jersey Devil. Still, teams are likely to make several moves today and we’ll keep track of all of them right here.
- The Ottawa Senators have returned Max Veronneau to the minor leagues. where he can continue his development in his first year of professional hockey. The Princeton grad has six points in 14 games for the Belleville Senators this season.
- Sheldon Dries and A.J. Greer have been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche, after Andre Burakovsky left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. The Avalanche are expected to get Mikko Rantanen back on Saturday night, but may need the extra body tomorrow.
- After Jimmy Howard was injured in the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calvin Pickard has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier had an admirable performance after taking the net ill, but Pickard may be needed to hold the fort until he gets better.