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Winnipeg Jets Sign Ken Appleby

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One minor move that slipped through the cracks yesterday was the signing of minor league goaltender Ken Appleby. With the Winnipeg Jets busy making more trades on deadline day than any other team, the club opted not to issue a press release solely of Appleby’s signing, but to merely include it among other announcements until it garnered more attention today with the fireworks of the trade deadline now passed. The two-way contract is for the remainder of the season at the minimum $650K. As the deal was processed yesterday though, Appleby is eligible to compete in the postseason for the Jets if need be.

Appleby, 23, joins Evan Cormier, Jeremy Smith, Adam Wilcox, and Chris Driedger as minor league goaltenders who have earned NHL contracts in the past few days to serve as emergency depth for their parent clubs. Appleby has split his time between the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and the ECHL’s Jacksonville Ice Men and has missed some time with injuries as well. While his AHL numbers this year – an .865 save percentage and 4.59 GAA in eight appearances – are unseemly, Appleby is just one year removed from a strong season with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and three stellar appearances with the New Jersey Devils. In fact, it was a surprise this past off-season that Appleby first was not issued a qualifying offer from New Jersey and then was unable to find an NHL contract. At the very least, Appleby’s brief NHL experience and strong ECHL stats this year make him a passable depth option for the Jets.

The question that Appleby faces that the aforementioned newly-signed keepers didn’t is whether he is even the fourth-string goaltender for the team. Appleby will glady take the contract either way, but he face extremely long odds at seeing NHL ice this season. With starter Connor Hellebuyck and backup Laurent Brossoit both young and healthy and playing well enough this season, chances are that Winnipeg won’t have to dive into their reserves in net. However, if injury did strike one goalie, well-regarded prospect Eric Comrie would be the clear-cut replacement. Comrie has some NHL experience as well and has been the starter for Manitoba all year. If somehow the Jets were down two goalies, it would stand to reason that first year-pro Mikhail Berdin could be the next man up. The 20-year-old Russian netminder has been phenomenal this season, posting a .931 save percentage and 2.31 GAA in ten AHL games to date. While Appleby has the slightly better ECHL numbers of the two this year, as well as the brief NHL experience, who would get the call is a toss up. The Jets certainly hope it doesn’t come to that, but it never hurts to add some extra insurance in net anyway.

Islanders, Panthers, Sabres Sign Minor League Goaltenders

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Several teams have fortified their depth in net before the NHL Trade Deadline, which also acts as a deadline for players to sign and be postseason-eligible. The New York Islanders have signed Jeremy Smith, the Florida Panthers have signed Chris Driedger, and the Buffalo Sabres have signed Adam Wilcox. All three deals are identical: two-way contracts worth the minimum $650K at the NHL level for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The trio of keepers will need to clear waivers today.

Smith’s signing is the most significant, as the Islanders have all but clinched a playoff spot this season. The 29-year-old journeyman played in ten games for the Colorado Avalanche just two years ago and previous stops also include the Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes. Smith has had several strong seasons in the AHL, including a two-year stretch with the Providence Bruins a few years back in which he was among the best keepers in the league. While the Islanders have hit the jackpot this season with outstanding performances from Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner, there was a significant lack of depth in net with third-string goalie Christopher Gibson struggling immensely this season in the AHL and having a poor track record in the NHL. With Smith signed, he is likely the new third-string should anything happen to Greiss or Lehner.

Driedger, 24, spent several years with the Ottawa Senators before signing an AHL contract with the Springfield Thunderbirds this off-season. Before the Panthers traded Michael Hutchinson away, Driedger was relegated to the ECHL with Hutchinson and Samuel Montembeault taking the AHL starts. However, he has gotten into 16 games with the Thunderbirds since and has outperformed Montembeault. The promising prospect likely remains Florida’s next man up in net, but given the injury histories of Roberto Luongo and James Reimer, it is certainly possible that both Montembeault and Driedger could see NHL action this season.

The Sabres’ signing of Wilcox is likely in response to a recent rash of injuries in net. Both Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark have had injury scares lately, while young Jonas Johansson recently underwent season-ending surgery. While their postseason hopes are dwindling, it still remains a possibility for Buffalo and adding Wilcox gives them depth behind Hutton, Ullmark, and Scott Wedgewood. Wilcox, 26, is no stranger to being an emergency option; the Sabres were forced to call him up last season – again as the fourth-string option – and were pleased by a shutout performance in his lone appearance.

Minor Transactions: 02/13/2019

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It’s a quiet lineup for the NHL tonight, with just two games on the docket. Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers visit Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the Anaheim Ducks look to snap a seven-game losing streak against the division rival Vancouver Canucks. However, more than just these four teams will be busy. With the NHL Trade Deadline just twelve days away, look for another flurry of activity today:

  • Patrick Brown was promoted by the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday and just as soon demoted to the AHL on Tuesday night. The ’Canes announced after last night’s game that they have reassigned Brown to the Charlotte Checkers. The AHL captain did not suit up for Carolina in their win over the Ottawa Senators and still has not seen any NHL action since 2016-17. Yet, he remains a dependable producer in Charlotte and a capable depth option for the Hurricanes down the stretch.
  • Also yesterday, the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda signed veteran forward T.J. Hensick to a contract for the remainder of the season, per a league release. Hensick, 33, had been playing in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye, affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, and was leading the league with 58 points in 47 games. Hensick now brings that ability and experience back to the AHL as one of the more accomplished active players in the league’s history. It’s unlikely that Hensick – who has over 100 NHL games to his credit as well as a member of the Colorado Avalanche – will end up with a contract from the Sharks, but should be a positive locker room and on-ice presence for the Barracuda the rest of the way.
  • The Boston Bruins have opted to fill David Pastrnak’s roster spot by giving a first-year pro his first NHL call-up. The team announced that Karson Kuhlman has been recalled from the AHL’s Providence Bruins and will join the team on their upcoming five-game west coast road trip. Kuhlman captained the University of Minnesota – Duluth to an NCAA Championship last year, was a standout in the preseason, and has been one of Providence’s most consistent contributors, so it was only a matter of time before the two-way winger earned an NHL recall. As the Bruins continue their pursuit for secondary scoring, Kuhlman is the latest to get a shot at earning a spot in Boston.
  • Vinni Lettieri is headed back down to the minors. The New York Rangers announced that their most frequent recall has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Lettieri should not be surprised; while he’s been close to a point-per-game scorer for the Wolf Pack, he’s now been held scoreless in 18 games with the Rangers this season.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have flipped their transaction from yesterday, calling up forward Mathieu Joseph – who never really left – and sending defenseman Jan Rutta back to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Rutta, acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last month, was brought up to be the extra defenseman with Erik Cernak sidelined, so this move would suggest Cernak is ready to go tomorrow against the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, Joseph should return to his role as a capable bottom-six contributor.
  • The Ottawa Senators have returned veteran grinder Darren Archibald to the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Archibald, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks alongside Anders Nilsson, has been sent back in forth by the Sens several times, but still has one lone appearance with the team back in January.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped out a veteran defenseman for a young forward. Max Jones has been recalled by the team, while Korbinian Holzer has been reassigned. Neither player has had much of a role for the Ducks this season; Jones was held scoreless through four games earlier in the year, while Holzer has one point in two games since coming off season-opening injured reserve. However, it’s Jones who has a future in Anaheim and should compete for a starting job next season, so better to see him get some NHL minutes down the stretch. The big winger is a 2016 first-round pick who has 28 points in 40 games for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls in his first pro season.

Minor Transactions: 02/10/2019

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After a 14-game slate yesterday, several teams are back in action today as the NHL trots out eight more games, including six matinees. Among the match-ups, St. Louis and Nashville will complete their weekend home-and-home series, in-state rivals Tampa and Florida are set to square off, and Chicago looks to extend their league-best six-game win streak as they host Detroit. Meanwhile, many teams will be tinkering with their rosters in anticipation of a new week of games. Tomorrow marks two weeks out from the NHL Trade Deadline and some minor moves could be clues of bigger things to come. Stay tuned right here:

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled a recently-acquired piece. The team has announced that forward Justin Bailey has received his first call-up since coming over from the Buffalo Sabres last month. Bailey, 23, was swapped for Taylor Leier and since arriving in Lehigh Valley has five goals and seven points in ten games with the AHL Phantoms. Bailey has NHL experience with the Sabres, but this is the first test of how he fits in the Philly lineup. Ideally, Bailey will challenge to fill a starting winger spot next season in the likely absence of impending free agents Wayne Simmonds and Michael Raffl. 
  • Another player traded away by Buffalo is getting the opposite of an NHL opportunity. First-year pro Cliff Pu, the centerpiece prospect of the Jeff Skinner trade, has been reassigned by the Carolina Hurricanes from the AHL to the ECHL. Pu, a 2016 third-round pick, heads to the Florida Everblades after recording just six points through 42 games with the Charlotte Checkers, the team announced. Admittedly, Pu was joined by future second-, third-, and sixth-round picks in the Skinner return, but the optics are poor for the Hurricanes that Pu has struggled mightily in the minors while Skinner’s 33 goals are second-best in the NHL.
  • The Florida Panthers announced they have recalled forward Jamie McGinn from Springfield of the AHL and have placed Colton Sceviour on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. McGinn was just placed on waivers on Feb. 1 and has looked impressive in four games with the Thunderbirds with two goals and four points. The 30-year-old underwent back surgery in September, but has shown he might be ready to return to the team’s bottom-six. Sceviour played a full shift Saturday against Washington and has five goals and 14 points.
  • With the loss of Sven Baertschi, who will be out for a while, the Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled Zach MacEwen from the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 22-year-old was brought into the system as an undrafted free agent, but has thrived with Utica, especially this year where he has 17 goals and 42 points in 49 games along with 49 penalty minutes. He gets called up one day after posting a four-point game against Rochester.

Minor Transactions: 01/13/19

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It’s a relatively busy Sunday for the NHL as six games are scheduled for today, including an afternoon tilt between the Nashville Predators and Carolina Hurricanes. While the league prepares for another important week, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The San Jose Sharks have sent Rourke Chartier back to the minor leagues, given the team doesn’t play again until Tuesday. The 22-year old forward has played 13 games with the Sharks this season but has just a single goal. He very well could be recalled once again in a few days.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Kole Sherwood, a 21-year old forward that spent time in the ECHL earlier this year. The hometown kid has seven points in 22 games for the AHL Cleveland Monsters, but will get a shot to see what life is like in the NHL for at least a little while.
  • Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Nolan have bother been recalled by the St. Louis Blues, giving the team two forward options in very different situations. Kyrou is still trying to get his footing in his first season as a professional, but has recently found his way as the AHL Rookie of the Month for December. Nolan meanwhile is just trying to hold onto his NHL career after finding himself in the minor leagues this season for the first time since 2012-13.
  • In a minor transaction, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis Blues’ goalie prospect Evan Fitzpatrick has been re-assigned from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL to the Tulsa of the ECHL. The scribe adds the transaction is significant because it likely suggests that prospect Ville Husso might be ready to return from injury, which could provide the Blues with a solid emergency goaltender down the road. The 20-year-old Fitzpatrick has served as an emergency backup already, but has spent most of his season in Tusla.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have assigned center Adam Gaudette to the Utica Comets of the AHL as the team expects the return of Josh Leivo, who has been out with back spasms. The former Hobey Baker Award winner spent the early portion of the season with Vancouver, learning as a bottom-line player, but was sent to Utica to get more playing time in. He has been producing in Utica, posting three goal and seven points in seven games, including a two goal, three-point performance on Jan. 5th. He was then recalled after Elias Pettersson went down with his knee injury and scored a goal in his one appearance on Thursday against Arizona.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL now that his conditioning stint is over. The team claimed Pickard off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers due to injuries to both Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper. However, with Kuemper healthy once again and the emergence of Adin Hill, the Coyotes would have to keep Pickard around as a third goaltender, which they may not want to do. Pickard struggled in four appearances in Tuscon, despite a 3-0 record, posting a 3.47 GAA and a .889 save percentage.

Scott Wilson, Miroslav Svoboda Placed On Waivers

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Wednesday: Both Wilson and Svoboda have cleared waivers according to Friedman. The latter will see his contract terminated, while the former has been assigned to Rochester.

Tuesday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Buffalo Sabres have placed depth forward Scott Wilson on waivers. Wilson is currently on injured reserve. In addition, the Nashville Predators have placed another player on unconditional waivers, this time heading towards a contract termination with goaltender Miroslav Svoboda who has spent the early part of the season in the ECHL.

Because of his injury status Wilson actually could have gone to the minor leagues on a short-term conditioning stint, but the Sabres are hoping he’ll slip through and provide them with even more flexibility going forward. Should he clear waivers tomorrow he can be assigned to the Rochester Americans for a longer period of time, and be recalled when necessary. Given the expected return of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart within the next few games, the depth forward wasn’t needed at the current time.

Wilson, who played for three different organizations last season, found a home in Buffalo in the second half. Registering 14 points in 49 games he showed that he could be a reasonably valuable bottom-six player for the club. He’s still waiting for his first opportunity of 2018-19, but there’s certainly no reason to think the Sabres have given up on him. After all, they did sign him to a two-year $2.1MM contract last July. That contract is cheap enough to be buried in the minor leagues if necessary, but also represents a commitment to Wilson that should not have disappeared at this point.

Minor Transactions: 01/06/19

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Despite many eyes across North America focused on the NFL Wild Card playoffs, the NHL has a busy Sunday scheduled this weekend. Seven games are on tap today, with the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators—two teams that are in the rumor mill—kicking things off this afternoon.  As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league today.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the minor leagues once again, and could have him dressed for the Toronto Marlies game this afternoon. Kaskisuo has been serving as the backup for Michael Hutchinson while the team deals with injury, but still hasn’t gotten into an NHL game. With Frederik Andersen expected to return soon, he may have to wait for another opportunity.
  • Though the terminology varies on the ECHL and AHL websites, minor league defenseman Nolan De Jong will be playing for the San Jose Barracuda for the time being. With Jacob Middleton recalled by the Sharks, the Barracuda have acquired De Jong to give them some more depth on the back end. The former University of Michigan captain has nine points in 22 games with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL this season.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled goaltender Cam Johnson from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. He was recalled with the recent injury to MacKenzie Blackwood, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Johnson will serve as the backup today against Vegas. The former University of North Dakota standout has had an up and down season between the ECHL and Binghamton. While he has had quite a bit of success with the Adirondack Thunder, he hasn’t been as successful in 14 AHL games. Johnson has a 3.91 GAA and a .866 save percentage. To make room for Johnson, the team assigned defenseman defenseman Egor Yakovlev to the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have assigned forward Dillon Dube and goaltender Jon Gillies to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Dube has appeared in 23 games with Flames, but if the team is sending him down, it’s likley that forward Andrew Mangiapane is ready to return from injured reserve. And with David Rittich healthy and ready to go, the team didn’t need Gillies, who was serving as an emergency backup. He has yet to make an appearance for Calgary.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have assigned both forward Ben Street and defenseman Jake Dotchin to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Both players had cleared waivers recently. The team also sent defenseman Korbinian Holzer to San Diego. The moves are expected to open up roster spots for the return of center Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler, who have been on injured reserve. Rackell has been out since Dec. 5 with a ankle injury, while Fowler has been out since Nov. 12 with a facial fracture. UPDATE: Stephens adds that Fowler has officially been activated off of injured reserve.
  • The Edmonton Oilers will get back a key defenseman as they announced they have activated Kris Russell, while placing forward Kailer Yamamoto on injured reserve. Russell has been out since Dec. 11 with a groin injury and has been badly missed in Edmonton, who have since acquired multiple defenseman to add depth to their team. Russell has eight points and a plus-four rating for the Oilers. Yamamoto, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, is still trying to gain a full-time position with the team, but has just a goal and two points in 13 appearances, while having eight points in 11 games in the AHL.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled Chad Ruhwedel from his conditioning stint with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 28-year-old defenseman has played the role of the team’s seventh defenseman for several years now, but found himself in the press box for a long stretch of time, since Nov. 19, and the team opted to send him to the AHL to get him back into game shape. Ruhwedel played five games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting one goal, five points and a plus-eight.

Overseas Notes: KHL Trade Deadline, Holmstrom, Toivonen

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The deadline for teams in the KHL to trade and sign players came and went yesterday, but not without some intriguing moves involving several former NHLers. Outside of the previously reported Michal Cajkovsky signing, several other notable names changed hands. After trading former Nashville Predators top prospect Taylor Beck to Avangard Omsk, the Kunlun Red Star were quick to replace him. Kunlun inked Drew Shore, who played briefly with the Vancouver Canucks just two years ago, to a contract for the remainder of the season. While Beck had been the team’s leading scorer with 22 points through 39 games, Shore is no slouch either. With the ZSC Lions of the NLA, Shore had ten points in 16 games before departing for the Red Star. He was also one of the top scorers in Switzerland in 2016-17 at nearly a point per game. Martin St. Pierre, who played eight seasons in North America with five different organizations, also signed with Kunlun ahead of the deadline. Elsewhere, former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Geoff Kinrade signed on with Severstal Cherepovets, as arguably the worst team in the league looks for answers on the blue line.

  • As it pertains to the current NHL, perhaps the most intriguing move at the KHL deadline was the return for the aforementioned Beck. In exchange for sending their leading scorer to Avangard Omsk, the top team in their own division, Kunlun received the rights to Swedish forward Axel Holmstrom. However, Holmstrom is currently under contract with the Detroit Red Wings. A seventh-round pick back in 2017, Holmstrom is in just his second full pro season in North America, played entirely with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. While there is no concrete indication yet that the young forward is thinking of retreating back to Europe, there tends to be fire where there is smoke when it comes to these transactions in the KHL, just as there was when Cajkovksy’s rights were acquired by Dynamo Moscow earlier this season. Especially considering the fact that the Red Star surrendered their leading scorer to acquire just one piece, and an abstract piece at that, there would seem to be at least some optimism that Holmstrom is considering a jump to the KHL. While Holmstrom, 22, has been productive in the minor leagues, he has yet to get a sniff of opportunity in Detroit and may be cherishing the though of a lead role in Kunlun next season.
  • A familiar name is back in North America for the first time in five years. The ECHL’s Maine Mariners announced today that they have signed 34-year-old Hannu Toivonen to a contract for the remainder of the season. Toivonen was a first-round pick of the Boston Bruins back in 2002 and spent four years with the organization. He was then traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Carl Soderberg and went on to start a career-high 23 NHL games with the team in 2007-08. Toivonen also suited up briefly for the Chicago Blackhawks and various AHL and ECHL squads before returning to Europe in 2014. Before the nostalgic get too excited about a potential NHL comeback, Toivonen was a stable option in his native Finland for several years after heading back across the Atlantic, but struggled at stops in Austria and Denmark last season and has had difficulty finding work this year. While his name alone brings some intrigue and perhaps some added ticket revenue for the Mariners, this is likely just one of the final stops in a long career of a well-traveled goaltender.

Nashville Predators Place Carl Persson On Unconditional Waivers

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After just a few months with the organization, Carl Persson has been placed on unconditional waivers according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Persson was signed in May to a two-year entry-level contract, but has only played in the ECHL this season. His contract will likely be terminated tomorrow, allowing him to return to Sweden for the rest of the season.

Persson, 23, had an excellent season in the SHL last year that included 13 goals and 24 points in 52 games. The undrafted forward looked like a good bet to at least give the Predators some minor league depth, but obviously isn’t pleased with his role in the ECHL. This has been an uncommonly active year for contract terminations, with the Predators already parting ways with Tyler Moy as he pursued an opportunity in Switzerland. Like Moy, Persson will actually become an unrestricted free agent once again and could potentially sign with another NHL team, though that seems extremely unlikely at this point.

For the Predators, this will open up another contract slot going forward making them one of the teams to watch when it comes to this year’s late-season free agent market. With roster room, ample cap space and a solid tradition of success, the team should be very attractive to free agents from the NCAA and Europe. Though Persson didn’t work out, the Predators will continue to try and find value from the fringes.

Nashville Predators Place Pekka Rinne On Injured Reserve

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The Nashville Predators have placed goaltender Pekka Rinne on injured reserve after leaving Friday night’s game in Calgary, according to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. The transaction means that Rinne will be out a minimum of three games and won’t be able to return until next Saturday against Edmonton.

Rinne exited the ice early in the third period soon after colliding with teammate Kevin Fiala as the two got tangled up on Sam Bennett’s goal 2:20 minutes into the period. Rinne stayed in for another 2:43 seconds before finally being replaced by Juuse Saros. According to the Tennessean’s Paul Skrbina, head coach Peter Laviolette said it wasn’t the team’s or Rinne’s decision to leave the game. He left due to the league’s concussion protocol.

“We didn’t pull him, so something was wrong,” Laviolette said.

Saros is expected to fill in for the Predators for tonight’s game against Edmonton. The team intends to recall Miroslav Svoboda from Atlanta of the ECHL for tonight’s game, adds Rishaug, but considering that he’s in Atlanta and the game in Edmonton, it might be a challenge to get him there by game time.

It’s a big loss for the Predators. Rinne, last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, is 3-1 through five starts this year, posting a 2.10 GAA and an impressive .929 save percentage. The team is lucky to have Saros, who is Rinne’s eventual successor, although Nashville has been discussing an extension with Rinne recently. Saros has won all three of his appearances this season and boasts a 2.23 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Svoboda, the team’s seventh-rounder in 2015, has been impressive in two appearances in the ECHL, posting a 1.50 GAA and a .946 save percentage.

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