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Minor Transactions: 11/08/19

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So much for a Colorado Avalanche team struggling to score without two members of their top line. The team exploded for six second period goals last night to down the Nashville Predators 9-4, but did lose another few bodies to injury. While we wait for news on Nathan MacKinnon’s precautionary removal, the rest of the league is preparing for the weekend action. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • Last night the Detroit Red Wings sent Joe Hicketts back to the minor leagues, ending his short run in the NHL. The 23-year old defenseman averaged just over 18 minutes a game in four contests, but will have to wait for his next opportunity at the highest level.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled veteran forward Andy Andreoff while loaning Mikhail Vorobyev back to the minor leagues. Andreoff, 28, hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2017-18 season with the Los Angeles Kings, but does have seven points in 10 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
  • After clearing waivers, Tomas Jurco and Nic Petan have both been assigned to the minor leagues by their respective teams. Martin Marincin has avoided that fate for the time being, though the Toronto Maple Leafs are still expected to clear a few more bodies before Zach Hyman returns next week.
  • Otto Koivula is back up from the minor leagues for the New York Islanders, which could mean their injured forwards aren’t quite ready to return just yet. Jordan Eberle and Leo Komarov both practiced in regular jerseys today, but aren’t guaranteed to be ready for tomorrow’s afternoon game.
  • Jalen Chatfield has received his first call-up of the season and is on his way to join the Vancouver Canucks. The 23-year old defenseman has yet to make his NHL debut and will serve as insurance for Chris Tanev who is dealing with injury.
  • Kyle Capobianco has been sent back to the AHL, meaning Jordan Oesterle may be ready to go for the Arizona Coyotes. The 22-year old Capobianco has to be used to this by now after being involved in six transactions since the start of the season.
  • Gavin Bayreuther has been recalled by the Dallas Stars, giving the team an extra defenseman as they deal with injuries on the back end. The 25-year old played 19 games for Dallas last season, scoring five points and recording 10 penalty minutes.

Overseas Notes: Puljujarvi, Okulov, Postma

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There has certainly been no lack of attention paid to the ongoing saga between Jesse Puljujarvi and the Edmonton Oilers. The young forward is a restricted free agent playing in his native Finland this season rather than with his NHL club and both sides seem open to a trade. If Puljujarvi does not sign by December 1st, he cannot play in the NHL this season, so the timeline for a deal to be made is down to less than a month. However, there have been recent rumors that perhaps Puljujarvi could in fact return to Edmonton. After all, the Oilers are off to a hot start and Puljujarvi himself is playing well for Karpat in the Liiga and the two sides may be more amenable to an agreement. That is at least what Oilers GM Ken Holland hopes, as he heads overseas for the Karjala Cup, in part to negotiate with Puljujarvi. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the player side is not as keen on a reunion. Agent Markus Lehto reiterated that, despite the performance of the Oilers so far this season, Puljujarvi’s focus remains on finding a fresh start in the NHL:

Jesse’s unwillingness to return has nothing to do with current coaches, management, the team, fans or the city. Like I have said multiple times, Jesse has just asked for a change of scenery and to get a fresh start somewhere else. Nothing wrong with that considering the past three seasons. It is very difficult for me to see that he would return there all of a sudden now…. If things don’t work out now with the right team and best possible fit, there is nothing wrong (with playing) the whole season in Europe.

  • Another big name taking part in the Karjala Cup is CSKA Moscow forward Konstantin Okulov. Okulov’s name has already been a fixture in the rumor mill this year as a player being eyed by a number of team’s as a free agent addition this off-season. The 24-year-old Russian has 14 points in 23 games thus far and recorded 31 points in 48 games in the KHL last year. While Okulov has been most frequently linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that has become known for poaching Russian talent, Friedman states that the rival Montreal Canadiens are actually considered the front-runners for the talented forward. He adds that with Holland in attendance at the tournament, the Oilers will likely take a run at Okulov as well.
  • Paul Postma has finally found a new job in Europe. The veteran defenseman began the year with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk, but left the club early last month. The NLA’s HC Lugano has announced that they have now inked Postma to a contract for the remainder of the season. The capable two-way defenseman brings over 200 games of NHL experience to the Swiss club after showing last season with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL that he is even more of an asset in Europe. Lugano, typically a top contender in the NLA, is in the midst of a second straight underwhelming campaign and could use the help. Postma will face high expectations when he debuts for a team in great need of a game-breaking talent.

Pacific Notes: Sharks Roster, Lucic, Larsson, Richardson

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With a drastically poor start, the San Jose Sharks find themselves at the bottom of the Pacific Division 4-10-1 record, tied for the second-worst record in the NHL. That wasn’t what most people expected at the start of the season and Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News wonders when change might start happening if the team doesn’t quickly turn things around.

The team is currently in the midst of dropping five straight and being outscored 22-8 in that span. The scribe writes that while the Sharks haven’t had too many poor starts in the last 15 years, general manager Doug Wilson hasn’t sat and watched often. The team made some small moves to shake things up in 2015 when they started 0-5-1, but also made bigger moves back in 2005 when they went out and acquired Joe Thornton to shake up the team.

Now word what Wilson might do now, but the team likely will make some smaller roster moves to start. Assuming he stays healthy during his AHL game Sunday, the Sharks are likely to recall defenseman Radim Simek and place him next to Brent Burns, moving rookie Mario Ferraro next to Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The team may also recall rookie Lean Bergmann, who has looked sharp in four games with the Barracuda with three goals and three assists, and could help the team’s fourth line.

However, if things don’t start to improve soon, don’t be surprised if Wilson begins to make major changes to the roster. Also of note, the Sharks do not have their first-round pick this year as they traded it to the Ottawa Senators for Erik Karlsson back in 2018.

  • NHL.com’s John Shannon reports that Calgary Flames winger Milan Lucic, who hit Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Kole Sherwood late on a play, already had his hearing today. There has been no word on the league’s decision yet, which could come later today, but Shannon mentions that Lucic is not considered to be a repeat offender. He was last suspended in 2016, although he was fined last year. That will likely be considered by the league when they make their decision.
  • Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal writes that Edmonton Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson, who suffered a fractured fibula after playing in just one games this season, is now skating and could be back in two or three weeks. Larsson, the team’s best defensive defenseman, was projected to miss six to eight weeks after suffering the injury.
  • The Arizona announced earlier today they have recalled Michael Chaput to take the place of injured forward Brad Richardson. However, The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reports that to make room for Chaput, the Coyotes have placed Richardson on injured reserve, retroactive to his injury date, which means he can be activated whenever he is ready.

Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi

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It’s hard to know exactly how the Jesse Puljujarvi situation will play out with regards to the Edmonton Oilers, after the young forward requested a trade and refused to sign a contract with the team this summer. Puljujarvi instead returned to Finland where he is off to a great start, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in 18 games with Karpat and recently being named to the national team for the Karjala Cup.

Oilers GM Ken Holland will attend the international tournament to see Puljujarvi, which has led to more speculation about a potential trade back on North American soil. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reported last night on Headlines that interest in Puljujarvi has increased again, noting that the New York Rangers in particular have continued to shown “persistent interest.”

There is now less than a month left to get Puljujarvi signed to a contract. The restricted free agent must have a deal registered with the NHL by December 1st in order to be eligible to play at all this season. That NHL future is entirely in the hands of Holland, who isn’t forced to move Puljujarvi’s rights at all.

The 21-year old will be waiver eligible, meaning that any team deciding to acquire Puljujarvi will have to keep him on their NHL roster—or risk losing him to someone else. That’s a tough ask even with his overseas success, at least for teams expecting to contend for a playoff spot this season.

Pacific Notes: Hughes, Fleury, Subban, Russell

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Vancouver Canucks fans are hoping that defenseman Quinn Hughes will be back sooner than later after the Calder Trophy candidate went down in the first period of Friday’s game against the Ducks. Having played nearly half of the first 15 minutes of play, the rookie blueliner was rushing to get back into his zone when he appeared to pivot and stub his toe that had him fall forward to his knees and needed to helped off the ice.

Sportsnet’s Ian McIntyre writes that the injury is likely to be a short-term injury and the defenseman will be re-examined Saturday in San Jose before their game against the Sharks with a remote possibility of playing. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Hughes will not play Saturday.

Hughes has been a key member to the Canucks’ defense despite his youth as he has immediately become a top-four player and already averages more than 20 minutes per game. His ability to quarterback the power play has been critical to the Canucks’ recent 8-1-1 streak. Hopefully, he’ll be back sooner than later.

  • With Garret Sparks recalled under emergency conditions and the return of Malcolm Subban to the ice, many were wondering what was going on with the Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltending situation. However, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger answered that question by reporting that starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has the flu and will sit out today. Head coach Gerard Gallant stated that it wasn’t anything that will keep the veteran goaltender out for very long. Without Fleury, Granger also reported that Subban, who has been out since Oct. 10 when he played just one period, will get the start tonight against the Jets. Subban, coincidentally, has never allowed a goal to Winnipeg in his career.
  • In a mailbag piece, The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman (subscription required) writes that while it would be advantageous for the Edmonton Oilers to trade off some of their defensive depth for some forward help, however the team few players that have much value. The most likley candidate to trade would be Kris Russell, who has just one more year on his contract. However, the scribe adds that Russell might be hard to move due to his $4MM contract right now as well as the fact that he has a 20-team no-trade clause in his contract. Both those issues would make it difficult to move him, especially since it might be a stretch to consider him as a No. 4 defenseman.

Morning Notes: Puljujarvi, Scherbak, McGinn

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Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland will travel to Helsinki, Finland for the Karjala Cup (an international tournament) this week according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, to check in on restricted free agent Jesse Puljujarvi. The young forward is having a ton of success in his home country and away from the bright lights of the NHL, scoring 11 goals so far for Karpat in just 17 games.

As the calendar flips into November, the Oilers (or any acquiring team) now have just a month to get Puljujarvi under contract if they want him to play in the NHL this season. As an RFA, he has to be signed by December 1st in order to be eligible to play at all. As Spector writes however, leaving him in Finland all season may be the best option for the Oilers at this point.

  • Nikita Scherbak’s contract with Avangard of the KHL has been terminated, making the former Montreal Canadiens prospect a free agent once again. Scherbak had just six points in 16 games with the team this season, another disappointing outcome for a first-round pick that had such high expectations a few years ago.
  • After just two games with the Charlotte Checkers, Jamie McGinn has decided to pursue other opportunities. The veteran forward has been released from his professional tryout at his request, though it is unclear where he may land next. The 31-year old missed most of last season due to back surgery and was trying to work his way back to the NHL. In the two AHL games, he had zero points and 15 penalty minutes.

Pacific Notes: Haas, Simek, Motte, Roy, Prokhorkin

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Several people were a little surprised that the Edmonton Oilers chose to recall forward Gaetan Haas from the Bakersfield Condors after two games when fourth-line winger Josh Archibald went down with a broken foot. Haas was sent down to work on his game on North American rinks, but the team felt they needed to recall him after two games and one assist.

Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that many in the organization were fearful that Haas would choose to return to Europe if he was expected to stay in the AHL for much longer, however, which could be the reason for the recall. The scribe wonders whether prospect Kailer Yamamoto might have been a better choice as the 21-year-old can kill penalties and serve on the fourth line, but that decision has been put on hold.

  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that San Jose Sharks defenseman Radim Simek has returned to San Jose. The blueliner has sat out all season as he recovers from a leg injury he sustained last season. According to Kurz, Simek is expected to begin a conditioning stint with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, a good sign that he is close to returning and adding some much needed defensive depth. Simek played 41 games for the Sharks last season, scoring a goal and nine points.
  • Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor writes that Vancouver Canucks forward Tyler Motte is expected to miss at least a week, possibly two, after he suffered a lower-body injury against the Washington Capitals on Friday while blocking a shot. The 24-year-old Motte has played a key role on the team’s bottom-six and has just one assist over six games. While many people felt that Loui Eriksson might be recalled, the team already recalled Adam Gaudette to cover the loss.
  • David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that center Nicolas Roy will make his Vegas’ debut tonight when the Golden Knights face off against the Anaheim Ducks. Roy came over as part of a package that sent winger Erik Haula to Carolina. The 6-foot-4 Roy was expected to be developed into a fourth-line option for Vegas. He is expected to take over as the team’s fourth-line center, while Tomas Nosek, who has filled that role will move to the third line.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that the Los Angeles Kings will have their own debut as KHL winger Nikolai Prokhorkin is expected to make his debut tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 26-year-old winger signed with the Kings out of the KHL after a 20-goal season there, but failed to make the team out of training camp. He has appeared in four games with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, picking up two assists. However, the team is hoping he can add some offense to the struggling Kings squad.

 

Minor Transactions: 10/26/19

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It’s a quieter schedule than usual on a Saturday but there are still 18 teams in action including Calgary and Winnipeg who will face off in the first outdoor game of the season at the Heritage Classic plus a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final with St. Louis and Boston.  There will likely be plenty of roster movement throughout the day which we’ll keep tabs on here.

  • The Sabres announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman William Borgen to AHL Rochester. He was recalled on Friday to serve as an extra with Marco Scandella dealing with a lower-body injury.  He has yet to record a point in seven games with the Americans but leads the team with 27 penalty minutes this season.
  • Defenseman Reid McNeill is returning to the Penguins organization as their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton announced that he has signed a tryout deal with the team. McNeill was a sixth-rounder of Pittsburgh back in 2010 and spent parts of five seasons in their minor league system before they traded him to St. Louis back in 2016.
  • Adam Vingan of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that center Anthony Richard has joined the Predators in Tampa Bay which suggests that he has been recalled.  The 22-year-old made his NHL debut with Nashville last season but has spent most of his career in the minors.  Though he led AHL Milwaukee in scoring last season, he’s off to a slow start offensively with them this year with just a goal and an assist in seven games.
  • The Wild announced (via Twitter) that they have assigned center Gabriel Dumont to AHL Iowa.  His roster spot will go to fellow center Joel Eriksson Ek who has been activated off IR.  Dumont got into three games with Minnesota while on recall and was held off the scoresheet while averaging 11:30 per night.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Gaetan Haas from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL after two games. Haas brought in from the NLA this summer to add some forward depth to the team failed to show much offense in his first five games of the season with Edmonton, picking up just one assist. He was assigned to Bakerfield to give him more playing time. He tallied one assist in two games there and now returns to the Oilers to see if he can boost the team’s bottom-six scoring struggles. He will replace Josh Archibald, who was placed on IR Friday.
  • After being recalled yesterday for the Carolina Hurricanes’ game Saturday, the Hurricanes announced today, after their 4-0 shutout over Chicago, that they have assigned forward Brian Gibbons to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL again. The 31-year-old played 11:59 today for the Hurricanes, registering a hit and two blocked shots. Gibbons has dominated with the Checkers, posting three goals and eight points in six games. He’ll likely be recalled the first chance the team needs an extra forward.
  • With a desperate need for a goaltender, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced they have signed former NHL goaltender Sebastien Caron to a professional tryout contract for tonight’s game. The 39-year-old Caron hasn’t appeared in a professional game since the 2015-16 season when he played in the German DEL league and hasn’t appeared in a North American game since the 2011-12 season when he played for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Caron appeared in 95 NHL games with a 3.45 GAA and a .892 save percentage. He also played a large chunk of his AHL career (123 games) for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Injury Notes: Tarasenko, Kase, Archibald

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The St. Louis Blues will be without sniper Vladimir Tarasenko for at least their next two games, as he isn’t traveling with the team on their latest road trip. Tarasenko suffered an upper-body injury last night and will be re-evaluated on Monday.

Here’s some more injury news from around the league:

  • The Anaheim Ducks acquired Erik Gudbranson today from the Pittsburgh Penguins, perhaps in part due to the fact that Josh Manson has been placed on injured reserve. He’ll be joined there by Ondrej Kase, with both players out for at least the next two games. The Ducks say a further update will be given next week, but those are two very important players to lose for a pair of weekend tilts against the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.
  • The New Jersey Devils have activated Will Butcher from injured reserve, though he is still not expected to play tonight when they take on the Arizona Coyotes. In his place, Connor Carrick has been moved to IR with an upper-body injury suffered yesterday in practice.
  • Josh Archibald hasn’t scored a point yet for the Edmonton Oilers, and won’t get one anytime soon. That’s because he’s been placed on injured reserve with a right foot fracture and will miss two to four weeks.

Minor Transactions: 10/24/19

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After the NHL held just two games on Wednesday night, this evening’s action is quite a bit busier. Ten games are scheduled, including a matchup between two division leaders in Edmonton. The Oilers are still holding onto the Pacific Division despite two straight losses, while the Washington Capitals are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference and now sit at 7-2-2. As teams prepare for the big night, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled Riley Stillman from the minor leagues, giving them another defenseman for their western road trip. The team takes on the Calgary Flames tonight and then has a back-to-back situation in Edmonton and Vancouver starting Sunday.
  • After playing yesterday afternoon, Joel Hanley is back with the Dallas Stars. Recalled from the minor leagues, Hanley will give the Stars another option when they welcome in the Anaheim Ducks tonight. Dallas is in the midst of a four-game homestand, giving them the opportunity to flip players back to the Texas Stars on off days to keep them fresh.
  • Logan Day is on his way to the Bakersfield Condors after being activated from the season-opening injured list. Day earned a one-year NHL contract in May after playing 64 games for the Condors last season. The 25-year old defenseman had 34 points, leading all Bakersfield defensemen.

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