Minor Transactions: 03/25/19
As we head into the very last stretch of regular season, the NHL is packed full of action. With teams jockeying for playoff positions and trying to secure home ice advantage for the first round, tonight’s schedule will be more must-see television. The St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights will do battle to try and show who is a real contender in the Western Conference. As they and the rest of the 11 teams in action tonight prepare, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Washington Capitals have sent Tyler Lewington back down, a cap saving measure for the team as they grind towards the playoffs. With Lewington sent down, the team now has enough cap room to recall Jonas Siegenthaler, their preferred replacement on defense. Without Michal Kempny available the team was in a financial pinch, and could be in trouble if any other players get injured.
- The Nashville Predators have assigned Miikka Salomaki and Austin Watson to the minor leagues on long-term injury loans. Watson of course was recently reinstated from his indefinite suspension and hasn’t played in an NHL game since late January. Salomaki too will need time to get back up to speed after sitting out for months due to injury.
- Joey Anderson is on his way back to the NHL, recalled today by the New Jersey Devils. The 20-year old has played 29 games for the Devils this year, but dealt with injury and missed a good chunk of development time. Selected in the third round, Anderson developed into a legitimate two-way threat in college and looks to have a long future in New Jersey.
Minor Transactions: 03/24/19
It was a busy day across the NHL yesterday; 28 of 31 teams took the ice, with games in the early afternoon on the east coast to late night on the west coast, the Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets clinched playoff spots, and the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens won crucial games in their postseason push. There isn’t quite as much action today, with only five games on the docket, but the few match-ups are arguably even more important than any yesterday. After dropping the first game of a home-and-home, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Avalanche, while the Columbus Blue Jackets are also desperate for a win to get them back in the playoff picture, visiting the Vancouver Canucks. The Philadelphia Flyers cling to slim playoff hopes as they visit the Washington Capitals, as the Arizona Coyotes face a tough task of their own, also in dire need of ending their recent skid, as they go up against the New York Islanders on the road. Finally, the Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes could be jostling for wild card seeding when they face off in Raleigh tonight. With another slate of games that stretches all day long, it’s possible to watch each of these key match-ups today. While you’re doing so, follow along here to see what the teams are doing behind the scenes:
- The Anaheim Ducks announced a pair of moves last night, just prior to their game, calling up forwards Sam Steel and Kiefer Sherwood from the nearby San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The Ducks are headed toward a bottom-five finish in the league this season and are testing out their young players as they already look toward next year. Steel, 20, has five points in 17 games with Anaheim this season, while Sherwood, 23, has been a more regular contributor with ten points in 47 games. One would expect both young forwards to be given every chance to earn a starting role in 2019-20, beginning with an increased workload down the stretch.
- Arizona Coyotes prospect Dennis Busby has joined the organization on a tryout basis for the rest of the season. The AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners announced that the Flint Firebirds standout, who missed much of the past two seasons due to injury, has been added to the roster on an ATO. It is commonplace for junior prospects to get some pro experience in the AHL late in the season on tryouts, but there is a little more at stake for Busby. The 2018 fifth-round pick has yet to be tendered an entry-level contract and the Coyotes may have some concern after he played in just 29 OHL games combined in the last two years. The puck-moving, right-shot defender could be a valuable asset and a strong showing in Tuscon would go a long way in proving to the Coyotes that he is worth holding on to. The Roadrunners also signed a familiar name to a PTO yesterday, adding former second-round pick and fan favorite Akim Aliu to the roster on loan from the ECHL. Aliu, now 29, is hockey’s foremost Nigerian-Ukrainian-Canadian player and, at 6’4″, 225 lbs., plays an entertaining physical brand of hockey, whether he’s lined up at defense or forward.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have swapped emergency defensemen as the team has recalled Dylan McIlrath from the Grand Rapids Griffins and assigned Libor Sulak to the AHL. Sulak had been recalled Wednesday, but has been sidelined by an illness for the last two games, so the team opted to bring in McIlrath to replace him. The 26-year-old McIlrath was the 10th pick overall in the 2010 draft, but has appeared in just 43 NHL games since then and hasn’t played there since playing five games with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17. Since being acquired from Florida that same year, McIlrath has played exclusively for the Griffins since then.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward A.J. Greer from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. Greer, who has been going up and down several times already this season, was sent down on Thursday to the AHL. The 22-year-old has fared well in the AHL with 18 goals and 42 points in 48 games with the Eagles. He has a goal and an assist in 15 games with the Avalanche so far this year.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The blueliner has appeared in 25 games for the Sabres this year, but was sent to Rochester in late February to work on his skills. With injuries to Zach Bogosian and Matt Hunwick injured, the team needs Pilut to help out. The 23-year-old was almost a point-per-game defenseman with the Amerks with 26 points in 28 games. He has a goal and six points with the Sabres in his rookie campaign.
- The Los Angeles Kings announced they have recalled Michael Amadio from the Ontario Reign of the AHL and will go with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip. Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen adds the team will not take forward Brendan Leipsic on the road trip in favor of Amadio. The 22-year-old has played 37 games for L.A. this season with four goals and eight points, while posting six goals and 22 points in 24 games with the Reign.
Kristian Vesalainen Returning From KHL
The Winnipeg Jets announced today that Kristian Vesalainen has been reassigned to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, now that his KHL season has come to an end. Vesalainen was loaned to Jokerit earlier this season after failing to catch on as a full-time member of the Jets. Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun notes that Vesalainen is not expected to play tonight for the Moose as he is still travelling back from Finland.
Vesalainen, 19, ended up with 17 points in 31 games for Jokerit, solid production for a player his age. That came after starting the year with eight points in eight games for the Moose, and notching his first NHL point with the Jets in a short five-game stint. The 24th overall pick from 2017 figures to be a big part of the Jets down the road, but will first try to help the Moose land a playoff spot.
Part of the reason the Jets have been able to afford selling their first round selections the last two seasons is because of players like Vesalainen. As the team decides how to pay all of their young stars, the next wave of talent will have to fill the gaps on inexpensive entry-level deals. That could provide an opportunity as soon as next season for Vesalainen, whose contract is going to slide forward this season if he doesn’t suit up five more times for the Jets down the stretch. That would mean he won’t become a restricted free agent until the summer of 2022.
Snapshots: Mueller, Zuccarello, Tokarski
It’s hard to find a ton of uplifting news for the New Jersey Devils right now, but Mirco Mueller gave the hockey world some today. Mueller took to social media to tell his fans that he did not suffer any serious injuries last night when he went crashing into the boards. The 23-year old defenseman needed to be stretchered off the ice after laying motionless for several moments, and was taken to hospital immediately.
Despite the Devils’ struggles Mueller is actually having a fine year, playing more games than he ever has in a single season previously. With ten points in 47 games he has also set a career-high in scoring, and is averaging more than 18 minutes a night for the Devils on the blue line. A first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks six years ago, Mueller found himself on the move thanks to the Vegas expansion draft. Instead of leaving him unprotected, the Sharks moved him to New Jersey for a package of draft picks where he has flourished. It’s unclear when he will return to action.
- The Dallas Stars went out and added secondary scoring close to the deadline by acquiring Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers, only to see the veteran forward suffer a broken arm in his debut. If the Stars miss the playoffs they will have given up a package of assets for basically nothing, unless of course they decide to re-sign Zuccarello before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. If they do, the 2020 third-round pick they sent New York would upgrade to a first-round selection, but Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (subscription required) believes the team still has interest in an extension. Shapiro does note that Zuccarello hasn’t indicated that he wants to re-sign yet, but he likely won’t make that decision until after he’s back on the ice. Four weeks from the injury would be March 24th, which would leave just seven games remaining in the Stars season.
- The Rangers’ AHL affiliate has essentially made a trade, loaning goaltender Dustin Tokarski to the Charlotte Checkers while receiving Josh Wesley in return. Both players will technically remain in their current organizations, but will play for their new teams. That means Tokarski can help out Alex Nedeljkovic on what looks like a Calder Cup contender in Charlotte, while Wesley may get a chance to stick in the AHL instead of the ECHL where he has spent much of the season.
Philadelphia Flyers Assign Samuel Morin To Conditioning Loan
The Philadelphia Flyers are finally getting a top young defenseman back on the ice. After a hiatus that dates back to November 2017, Samuel Morin is finally getting healthy. The Flyers have announced that Morin has been assigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a conditioning loan.
Morin, 23, suffered his initial groin injury early in the 2017-18 season and missed most of the year, skating in just two games for the Flyers in a season where he was expected to push for a starting job as a a rookie. However, Morin was able to come back later in the spring and returned to action with the Phantoms. In the postseason though, Morin suffered a far more serious knee injury that required major surgery. Morin went under the knife in May and was not even able to skate until late December. However, nine months after the knee injury and 15 months since his last game with Philadelphia, Morin is finally ready for game action.
Morin was selected by the Flyers with the 11th overall pick in 2013 and was considered to have the size and skill to be a core defenseman. Morin joined Ivan Provorov, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, and Phil Myers as Philly’s next wave on defense that was expected to rival all blue lines across the league. However, it has not worked out that way. Provorov has developed into an elite defender, albeit in a down year, and Hagg has settled into a dependable stay-at-home role, but the Flyers are still waiting on the promise of the rest of the group, with Sanheim being the focus this season. Morin sticks out as the biggest disappointment, though. TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes that Morin has played fewer NHL games than all but one of his fellow 2013 first-rounders, due to injuries of course but also underwhelming performance. The Flyers hope that Morin’s injury history is just that and the young defenseman can move forward and take steps towards reaching his potential.
Oilers Struggling To Find Space For Andrej Sekera
Veteran Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera has missed the entire NHL season thus far following an off-season Achilles tear, but he’s making his way back. Sekera finally returned to action with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors last week on a conditioning loan and the initial reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with some believing the 32-year-old looks ready to be dependable NHL defender once again. The Oilers would really like to call him up, but they’re finding that it’s easier said than done.
When Sekera takes the ice again for the Condors tonight, it will be the third game of his conditioning stint and in most cases the last. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that Edmonton will file a request to Sekera and his representation that he extend his conditioning assignment for two more games and Spector expects that they will accept. Why? Because right now the Oilers have no way to call him up. Edmonton is currently right up against the salary cap ceiling and even this late in the season can only afford to add $4.27MM in salary to their roster, per CapFriendly. Sekera’s $5.5MM cap hit is thus problematic. The Oilers need to open up close to $1.25MM at the very least to bring Sekera up and there are no good options for demotion among players whose salaries exceed that value. The team is also restricted by their current roster structure; Edmonton is already carrying only 13 forwards compared to eight defensemen. Of the forwards making more than $1.25MM, only Tobias Rieder at $2MM is a trade candidate and his roster spot would need to be filled by another minor league forward which would still not open up much cap space.
So what do the Oilers do? Well, the team is known to be shopping goaltender Cam Talbot, whose $4.17MM cap hit is significant. While that drop-off, even offset by the recall of a new backup like Al Montoya ($1.06MM) or Shane Starrett ($818K), would open up enough cap space for Sekera, it wouldn’t open up an additional roster spot and the team would still be forced to put a defenseman on waivers. For that reason, it makes sense that TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports the team is trying to solve this situation by trading away a defenseman. Ironically, the two blue liners named are Brandon Manning and Alex Petrovic, both of whom were acquired by Edmonton earlier this season. Manning at $2.25MM and Petrovic at $1.95MM would both clear enough room for Sekera if traded away for a pick or prospect. However, McKenzie states that there has been little interest in the pair on the trade market. If the Oilers can’t find a taker by the time Sekera completes another two games on his conditioning stint, they will have no choice but to place one or the other on waivers. Should they trade Talbot or Rieder first, the team would likely prefer to either trade or waive Kevin Gravel instead, as his $700K cap hit is no help but his roster spot is.
One way or another, the clock is ticking for the Oilers and interim GM Keith Gretzky to figure this out. They are fortunate that Sekera’s camp is willing to extend the conditioning loan, but at most the team has through this weekend. It is hard to imagine a team being in this kind of scenario, the epitome of a cap crunch, but it’s especially tough to see a team below .500 likely being forced to give up assets for pennies on the dollar via trade or for free on waivers to add another inflated contract to their roster. This is yet another mark on Edmonton’s disappointing season.
Pacific Notes: Canucks, Silfverberg, Ferguson, Coyotes
After trading for New York Rangers third-string keeper Marek Mazanec yesterday, the Vancouver Canucks are returning to some semblance of a normal situation in net. The team announced that starter Jacob Markstrom has been cleared to play and will get the start tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. Mazanec will be the backup, and if Markstrom can’t hold up, could make his first NHL appearance since 2016-17 after exclusively playing in the AHL the past two years. As for Michael DiPietro, the young prospect is on his way back to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, as his emergency loan has come to an end. DiPietro allowed seven goals on 24 shots in his NHL debut on Monday, a forgettable performance that he’s unlikely to forget. Meanwhile, the team did not issue an update on backup Thatcher Demko, Vancouver’s other top young goalie, who is currently on the injured reserve with a knee injury. If the Canucks hope to sneak into the playoffs, they’ll likely need both Markstrom and Demko to get healthy for the stretch run.
- As usual, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman provided plenty of insider information in his latest edition of “31 Thoughts”. An encouraging note for Ducks fans, especially during a stretch without much good news in Anaheim, is that Friedman claims term is the only thing separating the team and winger Jakob Silfverberg from agreeing to a contract extension. While that means the two sides are still apart, it was cap hit that was the major roadblock to a new deal. Due to Anaheim’s overall lack of cap space and the restrictions of “tagging”, many speculated that Silfverberg’s desired salary would be too difficult for the Ducks to manage. The fact that term remains “the final hurdle”, as Friedman puts it, would seem to indicate that the dollars have been agreed upon and a the odds of a new contract getting done are better than not.
- Friedman adds a new name to the list of Edmonton Oilers GM candidates. While he maintains that Vegas Golden Knights AGM Kelly McCrimmon and former Toronto Maple Leafs executive Mark Hunter remain popular options, he also adds Boston Bruins AGM John Ferguson Jr. to the mix. Friedman notes that interim GM Keith Gretzky, who appears to have some job insurance moving forward even if it isn’t at his current position, has experience working with Ferguson from his own time with the Bruins. Ferguson is a well-respected NHL executive who previously served as the Toronto Maple Leafs GM from 2003 to 2008 and has been with the Bruins for the better part of this decade. This also isn’t the first time that his name has come up in regards to an opening; Ferguson was considered a candidate to run the Vegas Golden Knights and has already been considered a candidate to do the same with the Seattle expansion team. However, GM jobs don’t come around very often and, like McCrimmon, if Ferguson is offered the Edmonton job, is unlikely to pass in favor of waiting on Seattle.
- One last interesting note comes in regards to the Arizona Coyotes. Friedman points out that the Coyotes are struggling with so many injuries that their AHL affiliate, the Tuscon Roadrunners, could only ice a lineup of 17 skaters last night, playing a man down. CapFriendly’s depth chart shows that only 15 skaters under contract with the ‘Yotes, including just nine forwards, are currently in Tuscon, as Arizona needs all the help they can get at the NHL level. Fortunately, Mario Kempe, Brad Richardson, and Christian Dvorak are all getting close to a return, while Michael Grabner and Jason Demers returned to practice today writes The Athletic’s Catherine Silverman. The closer the Coyotes get to full health this season, the better their chances are to push for a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference race.
New Jersey Devils Recall Cory Schneider, Re-Assign MacKenzie Blackwood
The New Jersey Devils announced they have terminated the conditioning loan of goaltender Cory Schneider and have recalled the veteran netminder. To make room for him, the team has assigned promising goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL.
Schneider returns home after showing improvement in his most recent conditioning stint, as he has allowed just five goals over the past two games with Binghamton this weekend, including picking up a big shutout win Saturday over Belleville in which he made 24 out of 26 saves. Schneider has struggled with injuries and success this season. Even with his improved performance this past weekend, he still has a 3.24 GAA and a .881 save percentage with Binghamton over eight games. His numbers in New Jersey have been even worse with a 4.66 GAA and a .852 save percentage. The hope is that he’s starting to recover from his abdominal strain and might be ready to serve as the team’s backup goaltender. The 32-year-old still has another three years on his contract at $6MM per season.
As for Blackwood, the team’s future might have to wait some time longer. Blackwood’s impressive play with New Jersey this season has given him the title of goaltender of the future. The 22-year-old has a 2.37 GAA and a .926 save percentage in 13 appearances. There is talk that the team may look to trade Keith Kinkaid, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, at the trade deadline, which would allow the team to officially make Blackwood the team’s starter. For now, Blackwood will have to settle for the starting role in Binghamton, where he was recently played at the AHL All-Star game and will bide his time till an opportunity presents itself.
Minor Transactions: 01/20/19
Ten teams are on bye this week, but the NHL schedule isn’t slowing down and neither will the transactions as we head toward the All-Star break and the trade deadline. Sunday’s slate of five games is spread throughout the day, with the Capitals and Blackhawks squaring off early this afternoon, two more later matinees, and then two night games. Highlighting the lineup is a battle between two teams active on the trade market and desperate for a postseason berth this season, the Hurricanes and Oilers. With both teams needing a win in the worst way to stay relevant in the playoff race, expect an intense match-up between two teams that normally have little ill will between them. Keep up with all of today’s moves – and there have already been a lot – right here:
- The Dallas Stars, one of the teams taking the week off, have sent several players to the minors for that stretch, including defenseman Connor Carrick, who is reassigned on a conditioning loan. Young forwards Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov will also head to the AHL’s Texas Stars for at least the coming week. The trio have all seen limited play time in the NHL this season, so rather than let them sit for a week while healthy, Dallas has opted to give them the opportunity to get some work in with the AHL squad.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Fleury, who played in 67 games with the ‘Canes last season, has only been with the team for ten contests this year. The 22-year-old was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, but thus far has been unable to show elite offensive ability at the top level. Carolina will continue to give him chances when they can, but behind a deep and talented group of defensemen, Fleury will have to do more with his opportunities moving forward.
- Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post suggests that the New York Rangers, also on bye, will send top pro defensive prospect Ryan Lindgren down to the AHL during the break rather than make him sit for a week. Lindgren’s recent recall received great fanfare from the Rangers’ faithful and this bye week demotion back to the Hartford Wolf Pack won’t change the team’s plans, which likely are to keep Lindgren in the starting lineup for as much of the remainder of this lost season as possible. Cyrgalis adds that another Rangers rookie, Brett Howden, will not be sent down, as the team hopes some time off will help him break his recent slump.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned recently-acquired forward Joseph Blandisi to the AHL, the team announced. It wasn’t clear where Blandisi fit in the Pittsburgh lineup after the trade that sent Derek Grant back to the Anaheim Ducks, so the team will let him serve as minor league depth for the time being. Blandisi has found success as a scoring forward in the AHL and will be an asset to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but he has been unable to translate that ability to the NHL in stints with the Ducks and New Jersey Devils and will need to adopt a more physical, energy line role to stick at the top level.
- The “bye week” claims another, as the resting Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Kevin Stenlund down to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Stenlund made his NHL debut last week and did not look out of place in a bottom-six role, but nevertheless is better suited to get some additional work this week in the minors rather than sitting. Don’t be surprised to see the big 22-year-old center back up in Columbus after the break.
- CapFriendly reports that defenseman Anton Lindholm has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche. Lindholm has been up and down several times for the Avs this season, but has only skated in two games with the team after suiting up for 48 games last year. The small, but solid stay-at-home defender has shown some more offensive ability with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles but until he can provide a little more production at the NHL level, he’s likely nothing more than a replacement-level depth option. The Avalanche also announced that forward Dominic Toninato has been recalled as well.
- CapFriendly also adds that the Winnipeg Jets have sent little-used defenseman Cameron Schilling down to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose for the bye week. The veteran has only skated in four games with the Jets in his first season with Winnipeg, but did record his first NHL point back in November. Schilling is a ways down the depth chart for the Jets, but has the experience to step in if need be down the stretch. To keep him sharp, they’ll send him back to the AHL, where he’s played 27 games this season. With no game until Jan. 28, the Jets also have assigned defenseman Sami Niku to Manitoba, according to CapFriendly. The 22-year-old has fared quite well filling in on Winnipeg’s blueline.
- Peter Cehlarik has played well alongside David Krejci and Jake Debrusk since his recall three games ago, but with the Boston Bruins hitting their bye week, they have announced that Cehlarik is headed back down to the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Cehlarik has been perhaps the closest thing to a solution on the Bruins’ second line all season and is sure to be back up after the break. In the meantime, The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver suspects that Cehlarik could replace the injured Ryan Fitzgerald at the AHL All-Star Game.
- The San Jose Sharks announced they have placed defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic on injured reserve today and have recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton. The team has been without Vlasic for eight games already with an undisclosed injury, so he can return to the lineup whenever he is ready. Vlasic’s number’s and play have dropped a little this season, but the team still misses his blueline skills as the Sharks have now lost two straight. The 23-year-old Middleton has appeared in one game for the Sharks this season. He has two goals and 12 points with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
Snapshots: Lundestrom, Hudon, McGinn
When the Anaheim Ducks loaned rookie Isac Lundestrom to Team Sweden for the World Junior Championship in the midst of a campaign split between the NHL and AHL, it was a hint that perhaps the experiment was over with the 19-year-old for this season. This has now in fact been confirmed, as agent Martin Nilsson tells Swedish news source Aftonbladet that Lundestrom has returned to Sweden for the remainder of the season. Although the Ducks’ recent first-round pick, No. 23 overall last June, showed signs of promise in his first foray into North American hockey, he nevertheless had failed to produce. Lundestrom, in burning the first year of his entry-level contract, played in 15 games with Anaheim but only recorded two assists. In 12 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, Lundestrom only managed six assists. After half a season with zero goals and limited opportunity to score them, Lundestrom is set to return to his Swedish club Lulea, where he played exclusively with the top team last season. After a WJC in which Sweden struggled but Lundestrom excelled, recording four points in five games, Nilsson says that the youngster is eager to return home and take on a key role for his club. He remains in conversation with Anaheim and, more likely than not, will be back with the organization to begin next season. In the meantime, the Ducks hope to see more of his offensive potential as he takes on the Swedish Hockey League.
- Another player who could be on the move soon is Montreal Canadiens forward Charles Hudon. Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic recently sat down with Hudon’s agent, Allain Roy, and discovered that the young forward has asked the Canadiens to give him a chance to play. While Godin would not go so far as to say that Hudon demanded a trade, the 24-year-old did allegedly tell the team that he wants a chance and, if it isn’t in Montreal, he would like to be moved elsewhere. “Charlie wants to play in the National Hockey League”, said Roy, “He’s a good player, and we’re still waiting for an answer whether it’s from Montreal or anywhere else.” After a 30-point performance in his first full NHL season last year, it’s fair for Hudon to be discouraged with how this season is going. Expected to be top-nine contributor, Hudon has instead been a frequent scratch and has played the majority of his 23 games on the team’s fourth line with Matthew Peca and Nicolas Deslauriers, despite ample opportunity to line up elsewhere. The trio has combined for just 17 points and Hudon has only contributed four. The Canadiens have opted to hold on to Hudon rather than risk him on waivers, even at the cost of recent claims Nikita Scherbak and Jacob de la Rose, but continue to deny him an opportunity to succeed. Godin wonders what the market would look like for a player like Hudon, whose size and skill set are ill-fitted for checking line work but who has yet to truly prove himself as a top-nine scoring option. Hudon would most likely not clear waivers if any team could grab him for free, but will anyone be willing to ante up to acquire the eager winger from the Canadiens? If the team doesn’t start giving him a larger role, we’ll soon find out the answer to that question.
- Already on his way to a new team is Tye McGinn. Unlike Jamie and Brock, the middle McGinn brother is without an NHL contract this season for the first time in his eight-year pro career. McGinn, 28, had been playing for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, but yesterday was traded to the Chicago Wolves, affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. This ended up being the “future considerations” side of the Jets’ acquisition of defenseman Jimmy Oligny from Vegas. With the Knights looking playoff-bound again this season, the McGinn acquisition could yield an intriguing late-season signing option. The team is sure to take a look at how the veteran two-way forward performs for their farm team and could decide he is worthy of stashing as a deep depth piece for the stretch run and postseason. McGinn was last an NHL regular in 2014-15, but has always produced consistently in the minors and shown good checking ability at the next level. Vegas has only two roster spots open as of now, but depending on how their trade deadline plans shake out, could dedicate one of those slots to McGinn later on.