Blue Jackets Recall Trey Fix-Wolansky On Emergency Loan
The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Trey Fix-Wolansky on an emergency loan (Twitter link). Head coach Pascal Vincent shared on Wednesday that the team would recall Fix-Wolansky if Justin Danforth was still feeling under the weather. Danforth missed the team’s Wednesday practice, but skated at an optional skate on Thursday, leaving him as a game-time decision per the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger (Twitter link).
Fix-Wolansky has been a force with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, with a team-leading 24 goals and 58 points in 54 games. He has an 18-point lead on the scoring title in Cleveland and is chasing the league title, now tied for sixth in points across the AHL. It’s been a continuation of his fantastic performance from last season, when he managed 29 goals and 71 points in 61 games. In fact, Fix-Wolansky has proven effective at nearly every level – putting up 197 points across 220 career AHL games after scoring 245 points in 206 games across three years in the WHL. But he is still searching for that scoring groove at the top level, with just four points in 24 career NHL games.
Fix-Wolansky will be playing in a career-high 10th game on Thursday, rejoining the Columbus roster after a March 23rd assignment. The Blue Jackets struggled last time Fix-Wolansky was in the lineup, posting a measly 1-5-2 record and getting outscored 14-to-30. He’ll now have to compete with rookies James Malatesta and Mikael Pyyhtia for a lineup spot. Both rookies are still looking for their first NHL point, through four and 10 games respectively.
Lightning Recall Goalie Matt Tomkins On Emergency Loan
The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled goaltender Matt Tomkins on an emergency loan (Twitter link). Tomkins will fill-in for Jonas Johansson, who missed the team’s Monday game with a lower-body injury. Tampa had to utilize an emergency back-up goalie in his absence, dressing former NA3HL goalie Kyle Konin. It was the second time that Konin has suited up for an NHL team, having served as an EBUG for the St. Louis Blues in 2021.
This is Tomkins’ first call-up of the season, after making the Lightning roster out of training camp. He played in just three games through the first two months of the season, while the Lightning awaited the return of an injured Andrei Vasilevskiy. The appearances were Tomkins’ first NHL games and he performed modestly, allowing 10 goals on 90 shots (.889 save percentage) en route to one win. Tampa placed Tomkins on waivers and assigned him to the AHL in late November. He’s since rediscovered his groove, recording 15 wins and a .904 save percentage in 29 games with the Syracuse Crunch. He’s served as the team’s starting goaltender, though closely paced by Hugo Alnefelt, who has a .902 save percentage in 27 games of his own.
Tomkins returned to North America ahead of this season, after spending the last two seasons in Sweden’s SHL. He played with both Frölunda HC and Färjestad BK, managing an impressive 39 wins and .910 save percentage in a combined 65 games. The Swedish performance was a strong show of strength for Tomkins, who had previously spent four seasons bouncing between the minor leagues in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Tampa has Tomkins under contract through the end of next season, on a league-minimum $775K salary. And while call-ups like this one certainly present opportunity, it’s likely that the 29-year-old netminder continues to serve as Tampa’s de facto injury fill-in.
Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner On Emergency Loan
The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Chris Wagner on an emergency loan (Twitter link). It’s Wagner’s third call-up to the Avalanche lineup since signing a one-year, two-way deal with the club this summer. He’s served as an NHL extra forward for much of the season, playing in nine NHL games and 17 AHL games – with nine points combined between the leagues.
This season has marked the most Wagner has played in the NHL since the 2020-21 campaign. He’s been a minor-league staple ever since, playing in 62 games in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. And while he did manage a career-high 31 points in the minors last season, Wagner’s role has still come largely through bruising, with 124 penalty minutes across 141 AHL games over the last three seasons. That’s a role he’s carried to the NHL as well, recording his 200th NHL penalty minute with a Leap Day fight against Chicago’s Reese Johnson. Wagner managed the feat in just 369 career games, also adding 37 goals and 64 points in those appearances.
Colorado now brings Wagner back to the top level, adding depth in the wake of a lower-body injury to Valeri Nichushkin and an illness to Joel Kiviranta. Both players are listed as day-to-day and have missed multiple games. Nichushkin won’t immediately travel with Colorado on their upcoming three-game road trip, per NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link). Wagner’s recall could also spell bad news for defenseman Sean Walker, who is questionable for the team’s next game with an upper-body injury after leaving the team’s Saturday game early.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Jean-Luc Foudy
The possibility of the Colorado Avalanche being without forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Joel Kiviranta tonight has come to pass, as Megan Angley of DNVR Avalanche reports that Nichushkin is out with a lower-body injury and Kiviranta is out with an illness. Carrying an open roster spot left to fill, the team recalled Jean-Luc Foudy on an emergency loan.
It will mark Foudy’s second emergency loan recall of the season, with the first coming on March 6th after Colorado’s flurry of trade deadline activity. Over that recall, Foudy played in one game for the Avalanche against the Detroit Red Wings, scoring one goal in almost 11 minutes of ice time.
Unfortunately, Foudy has not been able to accrue much playing time at the AHL level this season, as a lower-body injury suffered in training camp kept him off the ice until mid-January. Due to the injury, Foudy has registered only 18 games with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, scoring three goals and nine points overall.
Nevertheless, with the Avalanche having the ability to clinch a playoff spot this evening, it will be a valuable matchup for Foudy to be a part of. As Foudy will undoubtedly return north to Loveland by the end of the regular season, he will be a factor in the Eagles’ pursuit of a playoff position, as well.
Snapshots: Oshie, Protas, Brodin, Gruden
Before the puck drop in the team’s game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Washington Capitals announced two injuries to their lineup. In the announcement, the Capitals stated that forward T.J. Oshie is out with an upper-body injury, and Aliaksei Protas is out with a lower-body injury.
Although both players were given a day-to-day injury designation, it is much of the same for Oshie this season. Oshie has only played in 43 of a possible 68 games for the Capitals this season, only managing 11 goals and 19 points in the process. With one more year remaining on his eight-year, $46MM contract after this year, the injury concern is certainly piling up for the veteran forward.
Protas, on the other hand, has sustained much more health than Oshie this season, skating in 65 games for Washington. Earning a five-year, $16.875MM contract extension in January, Protas has turned into quite the playmaker for the Capitals, scoring five goals and 28 points altogether.
Other snapshots:
- Moving out West, the Minnesota Wild announced that defenseman Jonas Brodin would miss the team’s game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury. It will mark the 19th game that Brodin has missed this season with injury, as an upper-body injury, as well as another lower-body injury, have kept him out of the lineup for multiple games at a time. Nevertheless, Brodin is still the second-highest-scoring defenseman for the Wild this season, putting up seven goals and 23 points in 51 games.
- After filling in for the injured Jeff Carter last night, Jonathan Gruden has been returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after being recalled on an emergency loan. Gruden will return to a situation in WBS where he has been largely successful this year, scoring 13 goals and 24 points in 43 games at the AHL level.
Afternoon Notes: Bischel, Marner, Lyubushkin, Regenda
The Boston Bruins have returned to the well in South Bend, signing the University of Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel to a one-year, minor-league contract that begins next season. Bischel joins the Providence Bruins just one week after Notre Dame teammate Drew Bavaro signed a deal with the team. Bavaro – who signed an amateur try-out for the rest of this season, in addition to a one-year deal next season – has since played in the first two AHL games of his career, recording one penalty and two shots. Boston also acquired former Notre Dame captain Andrew Peeke at the Trade Deadline, sending Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Bruins are landing one of the top NCAA free agents in Bischel, who is a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year this season after winning the award last year. The 24-year-old netminder has served as Notre Dame’s full-time starter over the last two seasons, recording a combined 31 wins and .928 save percentage. He’s been dazzling for the Fighting Irish, earning the eighth-most wins and seventh-best save percentage in program history over his five years in Indiana.
Bischel now joins a Bruins goalie room filled with great talent, including reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, William M. Jennings Trophy batterymate Jeremy Swayman, and 2023 AHL All-Star Brandon Bussi. The Bruins reportedly tried to move Ullmark at the Deadline, though the esteemed netminder invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal. Boston could be poised to revisit those trade talks this summer, after bolstering their depth charts with this move.
Other notes from around the league:
- Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is doubtful for the team’s Tuesday game against Philadelphia, per head coach Sheldon Keefe (Twitter Link), who shares that Lyubushkin is battling illness. Keefe also shared that star forward Mitch Marner continues to carry a day-to-day designation and won’t join the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. Marner has missed Toronto’s last three games with a high ankle sprain, while Lyubushkin may exit the lineup after battling through an undisclosed injury, and questionable designation, for the team’s Saturday game.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent Pavol Regenda back to the AHL after recalling him on an emergency loan on March 12th. Regenda played in four NHL games on the recall, recording no points, two penalty minutes, and a -1. He also managed four blocks, six shots on net, and 10 hits. The matchups bring Regenda to 19 career NHL games, though the one goal and three points he managed in 14 games last season stand as his only scoring. The 24-year-old winger also has 16 goals and 29 points in 39 AHL games this season.
2024 AHL Trade Deadline Roundup
The AHL trade deadline was today, one week after the NHL’s trade deadline. We saw the Senators swing a pair of trades today for the NHL rights to players who were then assigned to their affiliate while a handful of other moves were made. Here’s a rundown of those per the AHL’s transactions log.
- The Red Wings recalled defenseman Jared McIsaac from his loan in Switzerland and moved him to Boston’s farm team in exchange for center Curtis Hall. McIsaac had four points in 15 games for Grand Rapids and suited up just three times with Ambri-Piotta. Hall, meanwhile, has been fairly productive in limited action with the Bruins’ affiliate, notching six points in a dozen appearances. Both players are restricted free agents with arbitration rights this summer and if the swap works well, the two teams could execute it at the NHL level in the summer.
- The Sharks have found a new place to play for winger Ozzy Wiesblatt, loaning him to Milwaukee. The 22-year-old was a first-round pick by San Jose back in 2020 (31st overall) but has struggled this season, notching just three goals and eight assists in 34 games. Wiesblatt is signed through next season and his AHL rights will revert to the Barracuda for 2024-25.
- Tampa Bay’s affiliate picked up defenseman Quinn Schmiemann from Abbotsford. It’s a return of sorts for the 22-year-old who was drafted by the Lightning back in 2019 but didn’t sign with them. Schmiemann played in 25 games this season with the Canucks’ affiliate, picking up a goal and five assists.
- New Jersey’s affiliate picked up blueliner Austin Osmanski from St. Louis’ farm team. The 25-year-old has seen AHL action in the past three seasons but has been limited to just ten contests so far where he has an assist and 20 penalty minutes.
Philadelphia Flyers Send Down Adam Ginning
Earlier this morning, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that the organization had sent down defenseman Adam Ginning to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Ginning was originally brought up to the Flyers by way of an emergency loan on March 11th.
Unfortunately, Ginning wasn’t able to suit up in a game during this current stretch in Philadelphia but did make his 2023-24 season debut only a week ago. Playing against the Florida Panthers on March 7th, Ginning played just over 18 minutes over 23 shifts, securing five hits and one blocked shot.
With Erik Johnson and Marc Staal set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, Ginning should be able to compete for a full-time roster spot as soon as next training camp. The former second-round pick of the Flyers has primarily played for the Phantoms during his tenure with the organization. In 121 games over the last two seasons at the AHL level, Ginning hasn’t been able to produce much offense, scoring only five goals and 32 points overall.
However, Ginning has shown stretches of being a quality shutdown defenseman, using his frame to play physically and separate his opponent from the puck. If he can improve his skating abilities over the next few years, Ginning could become a prized defenseman in the Flyers organization.
Ultimately, Ginning will join a Lehigh Valley team in a competitive race for playoff positioning in the AHL’s Atlantic Division. Afters suffering a first-round exit at the hands of the Charlotte Checkers last year, the Phantoms are currently tied with the Springfield Thunderbirds for the final playoff spot in their division.
Blue Jackets Recall Brendan Gaunce On Emergency Loan
11:00 AM: Kirill Marchenko is under the weather, and may not be ready for the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispact (Twitter Link). Gaunce will fill-in for Marchenko if he can’t go, while Meyer fills in for Danforth.
10:00 AM: The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Brendan Gaunce from the AHL under emergency conditions. This move comes after Columbus played without Justin Danforth on Saturday, losing the forward to what was initially believed to be an illness but has now been revealed as a concussion.
Gaunce will provide additional depth to a Blue Jackets club marred by injuries, with promising youngsters Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson both missing extended time, while top winger Patrik Laine is away from the team for personal reasons. Gaunce is in his third season with the Columbus organization and has already appeared in eight NHL games this season, recording one goal and three points. Much of his remaining year has come with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he ranks second in scoring with 19 goals and 39 points in 46 games. Gaunce is once again serving as a routine injury fill-in – sticking to the role he carved out early in his career. The former first-round pick has totaled just 161 NHL games since making his debut in the 2015-16 season, scoring 27 points. He’s also managed 343 career AHL games, netting 233 points.
Gaunce will join Carson Meyer in the Blue Jackets’ extras room. Meyer was recalled on Sunday and is expected to fill in for Danforth on Tuesday. He has served in a largely similar role to Gaunce, serving as a de facto call-up for Columbus over the last three seasons – although Meyer has yet to play in the NHL this year, instead totaling 22 goals and 37 points in 55 AHL games. He appeared in 14 NHL games last year, netting just one assist and bringing his career totals up to 27 NHL games and four points. The 26-year-old made his debut with the Cleveland Monsters in 2020-21, after four seasons in the NCAA. He and Gaunce will likely rotate in with each other, as Columbus looks to address their long list of missing forwards.
Red Wings Loan Jared McIsaac To NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta
The Red Wings have loaned defense prospect Jared McIsaac to HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss National League, a release from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, reads. McIsaac, 23, was a second-round pick of Detroit in 2018 and is a pending RFA with arbitration rights.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, McIsaac was one of Detroit’s most highly-touted prospects. The 6-foot-1 left-shot defenseman put up over a point-per-game with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads in 2018-19 and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2020 World Juniors, notching a goal and three assists in seven games.
With the NHL and AHL on pause at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, the Red Wings loaned McIsaac out to HPK in the Finnish Liiga for his first taste of pro hockey in the fall of 2020. He sustained a shoulder injury on his first shift overseas, however, costing him over six months of development time.
That injury put a significant dent in his development, as the high-end transition threat in junior hockey has failed to translate his game to the pros in Grand Rapids. His games played total has steadily decreased from his career-high 70 appearances in 2021-22, and he has been a frequent healthy scratch for the Griffins this season, only playing in 15 games and just two since Christmas.
After nine goals, 52 points, and a -29 rating in 156 outings with Grand Rapids, the Red Wings are giving him a shot at some more minutes overseas down the stretch to see if he can thrive in a professional environment. McIsaac signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $787.5K in the NHL and $70K in the minors last July, although if he doesn’t make an impact during his time in Switzerland, it’s unlikely he’ll receive a qualifying offer.
Ambrì-Piotta hasn’t advanced past the National League playoff qualifiers in five years and looks primed to miss the postseason again, as they currently occupy the second qualifier role as the 10th seed in the league with a 15-19-7-3 record. McIsaac is the only NHL-affiliated player on their active roster, although longtime Coyotes depth forward Laurent Dauphin is among their leading scorers with 28 points in 36 games.