Florida Panthers Loan Maxim Mamin To KHL
Friday: Mamin has been officially loaned to CSKA Moscow.
Monday: Though their news release earlier today stated that Maxim Mamin was on his way to the Sprinfield Thunderbirds, Darren Dreger of TSN reports the Florida Panthers are doing something different with their young forward. Mamin will instead be loaned back to the KHL and join CSKA Moscow for the remainder of the season. Mamin’s NHL contract includes a European Assignment Clause, meaning he could force a move like this if the Panthers tried to send him to the minor leagues.
Mamin, 23, came over to North America last season and split the year between the Thunderbirds and Panthers, showing off his high-end playmaking skills at the minor league level especially. The sixth-round pick from 2016 had already found success in the KHL, but couldn’t replicate it during his short NHL experience. This year he was still without a point through seven games, and had been a healthy scratch more times than not. The fact that he was in the NHL for as long as he was may have been because the Panthers knew they would lose him if they tried to send him down, but they eventually needed to make a decision given their place in the standings.
Florida is now tied for last in the entire Eastern Conference and have just seven wins on the season, in a year which they were expected to challenge for a playoff position in the Atlantic Division. The team has oodles of young talent in the way of Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad, Mike Matheson and more, but haven’t been able to put things together this year. Mamin was assigned to the minor leagues earlier today alongside Denis Malgin in order to get Micheal Haley back into the lineup, to hopefully provide some physicality and spark to a listless group.
The question for the Panthers now is whether they’ll be able to convince Mamin to come back next season. Though he’ll remain under contract with the Panthers for the rest of this season, the young forward is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in the summer and could very well choose to re-sign and stay with CSKA. His entry-level contract is set to expire, and he is not eligible for salary arbitration. The Panthers will retain his rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, but given the fact that there is no deadline for a deal to be signed the lure of the KHL will be tough to compete with.
Steven Santini Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The New Jersey Devils should be getting back another young player soon, as according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com they today sent Steven Santini to the AHL on a conditioning loan as he works his way back from a broken jaw. Santini suffered the injury a month ago, and will need to get some game experience in before jumping back into the NHL fires.
The 23-year old defenseman has only played in a single game this season, and hasn’t quite caught on as a full-time member of the Devils. Playing in 36 games last season, Santini recorded 10 points but did not suit up in the playoffs for the club. That makes just 76 NHL games so far in his short career since being selected 42nd overall in 2013, and there is no clear spot waiting for him when he returns from the minor leagues.
Vancouver Canucks Recall Sam Gagner From Toronto Marlies
The Vancouver Canucks announced that they have recalled center Sam Gagner from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The 29-year-old failed to earn a spot on the Canucks NHL roster out of training camp, but rather than bury him in Utica with their AHL team, the Canucks opted to loan him to the Marlies where he could be closer to his home in Toronto.
While a team that loans a player out has the right to recall them at any time, that’s a rare occurrence as it usually means the team intends to break it off with the player. Gagner signed a three-year, $9.45MM deal last summer, but struggled with Vancouver, finishing with just 10 goals and 31 points in 74 games and with a rebuild underway and a team loaded with a number of talented centers on the roster and in the AHL, the team opted to go a different direction.
Regardless, the recall also could have more to do with Gagner’s success with the Marlies as he has posted seven goals and 15 points in 15 AHL games and has proven to be a dynamic player as one of the Marlies’ top players. While the team does have a plethora of players on injured reserve at the moment, the team may also be recalling him to showcase him to other teams that may be looking for a bottom-six center. If the Canucks can unload Gagner’s contract at any point, that would free up more cap space in the future as he still has another year at $3.15MM.
Washington Capitals Loan Axel Jonsson-Fjallby To Sweden
There were reports earlier this year out of Sweden that Axel Jonsson-Fjallby would exercise his European Assignment Clause to return home for the remainder of this season, but the Washington Capitals shot them down saying their young prospect had no plans on leaving “at this time.” That time seems to have passed now, since the Capitals have now loaned Jonsson-Fjallby to Djurgardens of the SHL. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post tweets that the move is “not ideal” for the Capitals, noting that they wanted him playing in their minor league system.
The 20-year old Jonsson-Fjallby scored just three points in his 16 games with the Hershey Bears, but could likely still benefit from being close at hand for the Capitals development program. Instead, he’ll head back to Sweden where he finished last season with a strong playoff performance and will likely be given more responsibility. The fifth-round pick has already come a long way from his humble draft beginnings in 2016, including winning a silver medal with the Swedish World Junior Championship team last year. There is still plenty of work before he becomes an NHL player, but he’s well on his way to a successful professional career already.
Washington still hasn’t received a single NHL appearance from anyone they drafted in 2016, and their lack of development is starting to show on the fringes of the roster. Even Jakub Vrana, the full-time player most recently drafted by the Capitals still hasn’t established himself as a real force in the league and he stands alone in terms of real roster options from the last five drafts. While several other players will surely eventually establish themselves at the NHL level, the Capitals will need a breakthrough sooner rather than later if they’re to keep up their championship pedigree.
Minor Transactions: 11/13/18
Another busy Tuesday night in the NHL as nine games are scheduled to take place, with the Minnesota Wild welcoming in the Stanley Cup champions, and the Nashville Predators battling the San Jose Sharks. It’s a busy night, but teams are already working to finalize their rosters and make small changes. We’ll be here to keep track of all of them.
- Erik Cernak has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning, as Anton Stralman deals with an injury. Cernak, another one of the interesting prospects in the Lightning system, has seven points in nine games for the Syracuse Crunch this season. The talented defenseman combines both size and skill to get by, and could make his NHL debut this week if the team inserts him into the lineup.
- Micheal Haley has been dealing with personal issues and entered the player assistance earlier this season but will now get a chance to get back on the ice. The Florida Panthers have assigned the veteran forward to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan, in order to get him back into game shape. Haley, 32, played 75 games for the Panthers last season, the most in any single season of his career. He recorded 212 penalty minutes in those 75 games, which easily led the league.
- Pavel Zacha is back in the NHL, recalled by the New Jersey Devils after they placed Brian Boyle on injured reserve. Zacha had recently been sent down to the minor leagues to regain his confidence and scoring touch, which he seemed to do with five points in four games for the Binghamton Devils. The 21-year old forward is still without a point this season in the NHL, and will be a key part of any turnaround the Devils have in store this year.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Gustav Forsling from the minor leagues, while placing Marcus Kruger on injured reserve retroactive to November 9th. Forsling comes into a defense corps that is without Brandon Davidson for the time being as he deals with a leg injury, and one that has struggled recently to keep the puck out of their net. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Forsling is on his way up to join forces with new Chicago head coach Jeremy Colliton, but it is still to be seen whether he can help the Blackhawks break their current eight-game losing streak.
- The Colorado Avalanche have continued to send players back to the minors during homestands, today assigning A.J. Greer to the AHL. That’s the benefit of having an affiliate so close, something the Avalanche are now experiencing with the Colorado Eagles entering the AHL. Greer has played just a single game for the Avalanche this season.
- Ben Gleason almost scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game this past weekend, but after it was tipped by a player in the slot he was forced to settle for just his first point. Now, after two games with the Dallas Stars, Gleason will need to wait for his next opportunity to score that elusive goal. He has been sent down to the Texas Stars.
Valentin Zykov Assigned To AHL On Conditioning Loan
Earlier this month the Carolina Hurricanes were testing the trade market for young forward Valentin Zykov, but apparently haven’t found a taker yet. Instead, the team today announced they will assign Zykov to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan, allowing him to get back on the ice with a professional team instead of watching from the press box or end of the bench. The 23-year old forward has played in 13 games for the Hurricanes this season, but is averaging fewer than 10 minutes of ice time. He’ll now get a chance to get his development back on track with the Charlotte Checkers.
Zykov, 23, was originally selected 37th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013 draft after a very successful rookie season in North America. Coming over from Russia to play for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL, the talented forward scored 40 goals and was named both QMJHL and CHL Rookie of the Year. That shot his star and draft stock skyward, and many believed he was destined for greatness at the NHL level. Unfortunately, that success hasn’t come yet as Zykov has been limited in his NHL experience. After failing to find much offensive success in the AHL for the Kings, he was flipped to Carolina as part of a deal to acquire Kris Versteeg and joined the Checkers. In the years since, Zykov has only played 25 NHL contests and been given rare opportunities to really show what he can do offensively.
Still, his potential does pose something of a problem for the Hurricanes. Zykov would likely be claimed if the team tried to sneak him through waivers at this point, if only by a rebuilding team that believes they could take a chance with the former top prospect. Other teams around the league likely know that decision is coming, and are wary to trade any real assets to Carolina for his services. Instead, the Hurricanes will try to either spark his confidence or showcase his skills with a stint in the minor leagues where he will likely be given plenty of opportunity with the Checkers’ top line and powerplay unit. He can be kept in the minor leagues for two weeks.
Minor Transactions: 11/09/18
The NHL is unusually active for a Friday night, with six games on the schedule including the Hall of Fame game in Toronto. The New Jersey Devils will take part in the game honoring the new inductees which include Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, Willie O’Ree, Alexander Yakushev, Jayna Hefford and Gary Bettman. As the league prepares to induct some of the greatest to play the game, we’ll keep track on all the more minor moves around the league.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Cameron Gaunce to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL after almost two weeks with the team. Gaunce never did suit up for the Lightning, and will now try to get back into game shape with the Crunch. The 28-year old defenseman will likely be the extra man called up several times this season, though his playing time is expected to be restricted to mostly the minor leagues.
- Given John Klingberg‘s injury, the Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Joel Hanley from the minor leagues. They’ve also moved both Klingberg and Alexander Radulov to injured reserve, though the latter’s stint is retroactive to October 30th. Hanley has five points in 11 AHL games this season, and will try to force his way into the NHL lineup now that they’re missing a big part of their blue line for at least a month.
- The Ottawa Senators have returned Erik Burgdoerfer to the minor leagues, even as they start their short two-game road trip in Florida. Burgdoerfer has played in just a single game with Ottawa this season, and will spend most of the year in the minor leagues.
- Jesper Bratt has been officially activated by the Devils and should be in the lineup tonight, a move that needed no corresponding transaction given that Eddie Lack cleared waivers and can remain in the minor leagues. Lack had been on conditioning loan to the Binghamton Devils and will now stay there on assignment. The Devils have sent Kurtis Gabriel back to the AHL though, in order to activate Stefan Noesen for tonight’s game.
- The Anaheim Ducks have returned a pair of young players to the AHL. The team announced that forward Sam Carrick and defenseman Andy Welinski have been reassigned to the San Diego Gulls. Both players have logged considerable time in the minors already this season, but have only suited up for eight games total for the Ducks.
Minor Transactions: 10/29/18
Just two games on the schedule around the league tonight, which will give teams ample time to make roster moves and get ready for this week. As always, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor transactions.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Cory Schneider from his conditioning stint as expected, meaning Eddie Lack is on his way to the minor leagues. Interestingly though, the team has used a conditioning loan for Lack too, meaning the team will currently still have three goaltenders on the NHL roster. Lack will get in some games for the Binghamton Devils before the team decides whether or not to place him on waivers.
- Jeremy Lauzon is back up with the Boston Bruins under emergency conditions, as Matt Grzelcyk was not able to practice today. The team is still also without Charlie McAvoy as he works his way back from injury, while Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston reports that Kevan Miller skated on his own. Lauzon has already made his NHL debut this season, and is now looking for his first NHL point. After practice, the team also recalled Colby Cave under emergency conditions while moving McAvoy to injured reserve.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Ville Husso from the minor leagues to fill in for Jake Allen while he deals with injury. Robby Fabbri, Nikita Soshnikov and Carl Gunnarsson meanwhile have all been recalled from their conditioning assignments according to Lou Korac of NHL.com.
Scott Darling Activated, Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Carolina Hurricanes are going to have to make a goaltending decision before long, as Scott Darling is almost ready to return to the net. The team activated the injured goaltender today and sent him to the minor leagues on a conditioning stint. Darling will start for the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday evening, but could force the NHL team to waive either Curtis McElhinney or Petr Mrazek before long, unless they’re planning on carrying three goaltenders.
Even though Darling hasn’t been good since joining the Hurricanes before last season, the team still has quite a bit invested in him. Signed to a four-year, $16.6MM contract in the spring of 2017, he’s making $4.75MM this season in the second year of the deal. While that doesn’t put him in the upper echelon of goaltenders around the league, it does make him an expensive asset for a team like Carolina who usually sit near the bottom of the league in salary commitments. Add in that McElhinney and Mrazek are earning less than $2.5MM combined this season and it’s obvious where the Hurricanes need to get some production from.
It’s still not clear if they’ll get that production though, as even with his good preseason Darling is still far from proven in the NHL with the club. Last season saw him register an .888 save percentage through 43 games, putting him among the worst goaltenders in the league. Luckily for him, Mrazek and McElhinney haven’t been much better since arriving in Carolina. Though the latter has a 3-1 record, it’s more thanks to a solid team in front of him than his individual performance in net.
In fact, the offense in Carolina has been excellent this season with 26 goals through their first eight games. A competent goaltender could push them into the more impressive teams in the Eastern Conference, given their solid defensive foundation and exciting young forward group. If Darling can revert to the goaltender he was in Chicago, where he posted a .923 save percentage through 75 games, they would certainly become serious playoff contender in the Metropolitan Division. Without improved play in the net though, Carolina will have a tough time fending off the rest of a group that includes teams like Washington and Pittsburgh.
Remember that if the Hurricanes decide to place McElhinney on waivers, the Toronto Maple Leafs would get a chance to reclaim him. If the Maple Leafs were to the only team to put in a bid, they could send him right to the minor leagues—an outcome that they could desperately use, given their razor thin depth in net. Mrazek meanwhile would likely clear given his $1.5MM salary, but would then be an expensive asset to sit in the minor leagues. The fact that Anton Forsberg is on waivers today may actually be beneficial to the Hurricanes, given that he could be snapped up by a goaltender-hungry team before they have to make a decision.
St. Louis Assigns Nikita Soshnikov To AHL For Conditioning Stint
The St. Louis Blues have activated forward Nikita Soshnikov from LTIR and have announced they have loaned him to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL for a five-game LTI conditioning stint.
Soshnikov, who suffered a concussion in the preseason after taking a puck to the ear, will try to regain his form over those five AHL games and could be eligible to return to the Blues for their Nov. 1 game at home against Vegas.
The 25-year-old was acquired by St. Louis in a mid-season trade from Toronto last season in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick. Soshnikov, who couldn’t crack the Maple Leafs’ lineup last season, did appear in 12 games for the Blues once he arrived, posting a goal and an assist. He did play in 56 games for Toronto during the 2016-17 season, posting five goals and nine points. Upon his return, he should compete for bottom-six minutes with the team.
Soshnikov’s agent, Dan Milstein, first announced the transaction.