Gabe Vilardi Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
When it rains it pours for the Los Angeles Kings, who have experienced periods of abject sorrow this season but are now finally seeing some improved luck. After activating Jonathan Quick from injured reserve, the team has also sent top prospect Gabe Vilardi to the Ontario Reign for a conditioning stint. Though this by no means assures that Vilardi is healthy enough to get back to the daily grind of a professional season, it does mean he’s approaching that level with his rehab and could be back on the ice soon.
In a season that is quickly slipping away from the Kings, Vilardi’s injury rehab is a cause for excitement. The 19-year old forward was selected 11th overall in 2017 but has dealt with troubling back injuries since then that robbed him of much of the 2017-18 season and all of this year so far. One of the most impressive puck-protecting forwards at the junior level, he still managed to record 80 points in 48 games for the Kingston Frontenacs last year and holds incredible NHL potential. Still, there’s work to be done after missing so much key development time in his young career.
Vilardi would actually not be allowed to play in the AHL under normal circumstances given his age and CHL eligibility, but can appear in three games for the Reign under this injury conditioning loan. Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider also adds that the team could petition to have him allowed to stay longer, though at that point there might be good reason to just send him back to junior to have him continue to develop at the lower level.
Others keeping a close eye on the Kings prospect will be the Canadian World Junior management group, who could potentially add him to their squad for the upcoming tournament if he’s healthy enough to compete. Vilardi missed out on that opportunity a year ago, despite obvious interest from the team.
Jonathan Quick Activated From Injured Reserve
The Los Angeles Kings haven’t had much to celebrate this season, but they’ll finally at least get one of their most important players back on the ice. The team has activated Jonathan Quick from injured reserve, while sending Peter Budaj to the minor leagues. Trevor Lewis has also been placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 16th.
Quick has been out since last month following a surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, forcing young goaltenders into the net in his place. First Jack Campbell took over and actually performed quite well, before the same injury forced him out of the crease and onto the surgery table. Following Campbell’s injury the team was forced to turn to Calvin Petersen, who had only 51 professional appearances to his name. Petersen has done much better than anyone could have asked for with a .921 save percentage, but there is little doubt the Kings are happy to get their star goaltender back on the ice.
The Kings are close to being left behind entirely in the Western Conference, now sitting at just 17 points on the season with a 8-14-1 record. That is obviously a terrible start—one which cost head coach John Stevens his job and forward Tanner Pearson his roster spot—but there is still hope that a rejuvenated Quick can get them back into the hunt. To do it they’ll need some help from the offense, who have scored just 51 goals on the season.
Los Angeles Kings Place Carl Hagelin On Injured Reserve
Monday: Hagelin will miss four-to-six weeks, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider (Twitter link).
Sunday: The Los Angeles Kings can’t seem to find any continuity as injuries continue to play a part in the team’s downfall this season. After just having acquired veteran Carl Hagelin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Tanner Pearson, the Kings announced they have placed him on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and consider him to be “week-to-week,” with an MCL sprain. He will have an MRI on Monday.
Hagelin was starting to connect in his time with the Kings, having played five games now with Los Angeles. Hagelin has been a big influence on rookie Matt Luff, who has posted three goals in the three straight games for the Kings. Hagelin assisted on two of them. He had fallen out of favor in Pittsburgh as he averaged under 15:00 per game in November, but has received more playing time in Los Angeles, averaging close to 16 minutes per contest.
The team has recalled Michael Amadio from Ontario, who has already appeared in 13 games for the Kings this season, although he has scored just one goal in that time. Amadio has played just three games for the Reign, putting up three assists.
Pacific Notes: Vegas’ Defense, Boeser, Kovalchuk, Luff, McLellan
The Vegas Golden Knights have always followed a general philosophy when it comes to pairing up their defensemen. Head coach Gerard Gallant loves to pair a fast, quick-moving offensive defenseman with a bigger defensive counterpart. However, with Nate Schmidt missing the first 20 games of the season with a suspension, Gallant hasn’t had the opportunity to put together his perfect pairing, which included Schmidt matched up with Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore with Deryk Engelland and Colin Miller paired with Nick Holden.
The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) analyzes those new changes which has produced a 3-0 record since Gallant put those pairings together, including a 2-1 overtime win over Arizona and a pair of shutouts over Calgary and San Jose, Friday and Saturday. That’s just one goal allowed in 183 minutes. While it has been made clear that the team missed Schmidt, Vegas’ entire defense missed him as everyone had been shuffled out of alignment without the speedy blueliner. Without Schmidt, the team lacked a third offensive defenseman as the team had to pair Holden with Jonathon Merrill, which struggled throughout the first quarter of the season.
“It adjusted our defenseman because they all played different roles when Nate was out,” Gallant said. “So, everybody is in their spots now and playing pretty well and they are confident.”
- Rick Dhailwal of Sportsnet reports that he’s heard from a source that Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is making good progress recovering from his groin injury. The 21-year-old has been out since Nov. 2. The scribe adds that Boeser is getting closer and should be back at some point next week. He has four goals and 11 points in 13 games so far this year.
- One of the Los Angeles Kings struggles comes from the play of major off-season acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk who has failed to record a point in eight straight games, according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times. The 35-year-old, who signed a three-year, $18.75MM contract this summer, has gone from the team’s top winger to a third-stringer and has dropped to the second unit of the power play. The team broke their 0-for-16 slump on the power play Saturday with Kovalchuk on the bench.
- Fox Sports Jon Rosen writes that the Kings need to get more playing time to rookie Matt Luff, who has played well since being called up from the AHL. The 21-year-old has three goals in eight games after dominating in Ontario. Head coach Willie Desjardins re-teamed him with Carl Hagelin and Adrian Kempe, which found some success for the Kings. The scribe writes that Luff needs playing time and needs to start receiving power play time as well.
- Rosen also adds that the Kings have no interest in bringing former Edmonton Oilers’ coach Todd McLellan aboard.
Jonathan Quick Returns To Practice, Likely A Week From Returning
- Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick participated in his first full practice with the team since undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus late last month, notes Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Head coach Willie Desjardins doesn’t want to put a firm timetable on when the netminder may be able to return to the lineup but the belief is he’s about a week away from getting the green light to play. Meanwhile, center Adrian Kempe is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Vancouver after suffering a lower-body injury on Wednesday. If he can’t play, Los Angeles will likely have to bring up a forward from AHL Ontario.
Los Angeles Kings Acquire Pavel Jenys
Though it is certainly not the blockbuster trade many are hoping for the Los Angeles Kings have acquired prospect Pavel Jenys from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Stephan Falkovsky. Both players will remain in the minor leagues after swapping teams.
Jenys, 22, was a seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft but hasn’t been able to establish himself above the ECHL level. The Czech forward has size and some solid finish around the net, but is a long way off from the NHL. He has four goals in nine games with the Allen Americans this season, and will likely go right to the Manchester Monarchs to give them a little more firepower up front.
Falkovsky on the other hand was a seventh-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2016, but didn’t end up signing with them and became an unrestricted free agent. The Kings snapped him up to an entry-level deal likely because of his massive 6’7″ frame, but he too has been playing in the ECHL this season. He’ll turn 22 in December, and isn’t in the NHL plans for the Wild for now.
Minor Transactions: 11/21/18
If you struggled through Tuesday evening due to the lack of NHL action, fear not. The league has 14 games scheduled for Wednesday including a battle of New York between the Islanders and Rangers. Nearly the entire league will be involved tonight, and as they prepare we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- Michael Amadio has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Los Angeles Kings after playing just 5:22 in his most recent outing. Obviously not trusted by new head coach Willie Desjardins, Amadio will need to prove himself once again at the AHL level. The 22-year old forward has just one goal in 13 games this season.
- It’s frequent flyer day for Dakota Mermis, who has been sent back to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL once again. Mermis has been involved in six transactions already this season, but played just a single game with the Arizona Coyotes so far.
Pacific Notes: Quick, Raanta, Chychrun, Oilers, Miller
The Los Angeles Kings could use some good news with their goaltending issues and they got some Sunday as NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes reports that Jonathan Quick skated today in full gear, which is the next step in his recovery after undergoing surgery on Oct. 31 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Weekes reports that Quick just worked on his crease work, but did not go down and did not take any pucks. Regardless, that has to be good news for L.A. who are without both Quick and his backup, Jack Campbell, who went down with the exact same injury. Instead, the team is going with the AHL tandem of Peter Budaj and Calvin Petersen. However, the team would much prefer to see Quick return to the lineup as new head coach Willie Desjardins continues to try to turn around the Kings after a poor start.
Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen adds that Quick could take on a heavier load in practice on either Wednesday or Friday.
- Cat Silverman of The Athletic reports that the Arizona Coyotes had two injured players return to practice Sunday as goaltender Antti Raanta and defenseman Jakob Chychrun both practiced. Raanta’s practice was a short one, but he did participate in full drills while he was there. He was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 7 with an undisclosed injury. Chychrun recently returned to the team after recovering from offseason surgery and then immediately was placed on injured reserve after one game with an upper-body injury. He was a full participant in practice today and with full contact. Both are considered likely to play Wednesday against Vegas.
- Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson writes that it’s unlikely the Edmonton Oilers will get involved in the William Nylander sweepstakes with the Toronto Maple Leafs as the team would likely have to send back defenseman Adam Larsson, which the Oilers would not be willing to do. Instead Matheson believes the Oilers’ best course of action would be to wait for the trade deadline and make a play for the New York Rangers Mats Zuccarello, who will be a unrestricted free agent next year, but could be a good fit in Edmonton.
- The return of Nate Schmidt to the Vegas Golden Knights Sunday is good news for defenseman Colin Miller, who has been forced to take over Schmidt’s role as a No. 1 defenseman, always in charge of facing opposing team’s top line. That has been a challenge for Miller, who is better off as a second-pair defenseman, according to SinBin’s Steve Carp. That role has altered the way Miller thinks as he has had to focus on defense first and put offense on the back burner. Miller, who had 10 goals and 41 points last season, currently has no goals and six assists in 20 games. However, with Schmidt taking his previous role starting tonight and expected to be paired with Shea Theodore, Miller can return to his old role, which could result in an offensive boost for Vegas.
Minor Transactions: 11/18/18
After an outstanding Saturday filled with exciting finishes and huge comebacks the NHL is relatively quiet today with just five matches scheduled. Things get kicked off this afternoon between the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders, but first there will be roster moves around the league. We’ll be here to keep track of those moves:
- The New York Rangers have reassigned Vinni Lettieri to the minor leagues, after he seemingly got benched yesterday for much of their game. Lettieri took a two-minute penalty in the first period, but ended up seeing the ice for just 4:29 in total. The 23-year old has been held scoreless in all 14 of his opportunities this season, and now will have to rediscover his game in the AHL. They announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Steven Fogarty from AHL Hartford to take Lettieri’s place. He’s off to a strong start to his third full professional campaign, collecting 14 points through the first 18 games of the season. (For reference, his career high is 20.)
- CapFriendly reports that the Florida Panthers have recalled veteran forward Micheal Haley from a conditioning loan with the Springfield Thunderbirds after spending the first part of the season in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Now ready to return, the veteran played two games with Springfield, putting up a goal and an assist and now is ready to return to Florida. The 32-year-old had three goals and nine points in 75 games last year. CapFriendly also reported they have recalled Dryden Hunt from Springfield, who was tearing up the AHL with eight goals in 15 games. The team countered those moves by assigning two players to Springfield, including Maxim Mamin and Denis Malgin. Mamin has played seven games with no points, while Malgin has been more successful with a goal and five points in 14 games.
- The Los Angeles Kings announced they have recalled forward Austin Wagner from the Ontario Reign of the AHL to help fill in for injured veteran Trevor Lewis who is out week-to-week. The 21-year-old has already played eight games with Los Angeles and has no points, but has a pair of goals in five games with the Reign. The team also assigned goaltender Cole Kehler to Ontario.
- With the Boston Bruins currently missing six defensemen due to injury and icing a starting six that includes four players expected to spend the majority of the season in the AHL, the Providence Bruins are also suffering from a dearth of defenders. The team currently rosters just three defensemen signed to NHL contracts, one of whom – Cody Goloubef – is also out with an injury. As a result, the team today brought in some reinforcements in the form of ECHL loans. Veteran pro Kyle Cumiskey of the Newfoundland Growlers and young Chris Carlisle of the nearby Manchester Monarchs have been added by Providence, per the ECHL. They join Boston-area native Desmond Bergin of the Adirondack Thunder as three on-loan players competing for ice time among a total of just seven healthy defensemen.
- With John Gibson feeling sick, the Anaheim Ducks announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Kevin Boyle from San Diego of the AHL. The 26-year-old has posted a .920 save percentage so far this season, ranking sixth among AHL netminders.
Minor Transactions: 11/17/18
As usual, Saturday is a busy day on the schedule with 22 teams in action so there will likely be considerable roster movement throughout the day. We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.
- The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Eric Gryba from AHL Binghamton. To make room for him on the roster, they placed blueliner Sami Vatanen on injured reserve retroactive to Thursday. Gryba has been up and down so far this season; he made the team out of training camp but was waived in mid-October and this will be his second stint with New Jersey since clearing.
- With their goaltending depth quickly getting depleted with their top three options injured or sick, the Kings have inked veteran Michael Leighton to a minor league PTO per a team release from their AHL affiliate in Ontario. The 37-year-old has yet to play this season and spent time in three different organizations in 2017-18. CapFriendly adds via Twitter that Cole Kehler, who was brought up on an emergency recall on Friday, has been sent back to Ontario.
- The Coyotes announced that they’ve recalled center Mario Kempe from AHL Tucson. The 30-year-old has been quite productive in the minors with nine points in eight games while he has also seen action in four games with Arizona this season where he has been held off the scoresheet. To make room for him on the roster, Jason Demers was transferred to injured reserve.
- The Sharks have recalled center Dylan Gambrell from the minors and assigned center Rourke Chartier to San Jose of the AHL, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. Chartier has just a single goal in 13 games with the Sharks this season so he’ll go down with the hopes that some more ice time at the lower level will help him rediscover his scoring touch. Meanwhile, Gambrell has been productive in his limited time with the Barracuda, recording six points in seven games. He also has one game with the big club where he failed to record a point.
- Dallas announced that they have brought up defenseman Ben Gleason and center Roope Hintz from Texas of the AHL. Hintz leads their affiliate in points per game (1.22) and has seen action in five games with the big club this season although he has been held without a point. Meanwhile, Gleason made his NHL debut last weekend but was returned to Texas on Tuesday. He has fared quite well at the minor league level in his rookie campaign, collecting eight points in 13 games.
- With their road trip now complete, the Maple Leafs have returned winger Trevor Moore to the AHL’s Marlies. Moore has been up twice with the NHL team so far this season but has yet to play in a game. He has been quite productive in the minors though, collecting a dozen points (including nine goals) in as many games to start his season.
- The Penguins announced that they’ve re-assigned winger Garrett Wilson back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. The move was made to free up a roster spot for center Derick Brassard as he was activated off injured reserve. Wilson played in four games with Pittsburgh, his first NHL action since the 2015-16 season with Florida.