Minor Transactions: 01/19/19
Today marks the last day of game action for many teams across the NHL before their mandated “bye week”, which runs seven days long this season to include All-Star weekend. Among those getting set for the hiatus are the Central Division-rival Jets and Stars, squaring off in Dallas later, and the Rangers and Bruins, in their first meeting of the season in Boston tonight, as well as the Devils and Lightning, who each host a Western Conference foe before taking time off. Expect several of these teams to make last-minute changes today, while the remainder of the league gets ready for another week of action:
- The New Jersey Devils have made a flurry of moves, highlighted by placing forward Miles Wood on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury. His retroactive placement will allow Wood to return to the lineup in the Devils’ first game back from the break, if he is ready. New Jersey also reassigned Blake Pietila to the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, leaving the team in need of two replacement forwards. They have elected to recall veteran enforcer Kurtis Gabriel and young power forward Nathan Bastian. It is unclear right now which one will suit up for the Devils today in their matinee against the Anaheim Ducks, but it would be Bastian’s NHL debut if he gets the call.
- Following their 3-2 loss to Anaheim today and the fact that the team heads out on their bye week and don’t play again until Jan. 28, the Devils announced another group of roster moves, sending Bastian, Kevin Rooney, defenseman Egor Yakovlev and goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL to get playing time. The team also announced they have activated goaltender Cory Schneider from injured reserve. Bastian played 9:32 in his NHL debut.
- Colin Blackwell has been called up by the Nashville Predators, the team announced. It marks the first career recall for the former Harvard University forward, who was highly productive in the AHL last season with the Rochester Americans and signed with Nashville as a free agent this summer. Blackwell will look to make the most of his first opportunity with the team if given play time in his first call-up.
- The Ducks announced that they’ve recalled center Sam Carrick from San Diego of the AHL. The 26-year-old is tied for the Gulls’ lead in team scoring with 37 points in just 32 games. He suited up in three games with Anaheim earlier in the season, his first NHL action since the 2015-16 campaign. To make room for him on the roster, winger Ondrej Kase was transferred to injured reserve.
- The Hurricanes have sent center Clark Bishop back to Charlotte of the AHL, per a team release. He recently was cleared to return from a lower-body injury suffered early this month but he’ll work his way back into playing shape at the minor league level instead. Bishop has three points in 20 games with Carolina so far this season.
Ryan Johansen Suspended Two Games
The decision is in. Nashville Predators forward Ryan Johansen has been suspended two games by the Department of Player Safety for his high stick on Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele. As the accompanying video explains:
It is important to note that the high-sticking rule states that players are responsible for their stick at all times. While we accept Johansen’s assertion that he was not attempting to intentionally strike Scheifele in the head, this is not a case where a player is so off balance or otherwise unable to control his stick that the play can be sufficiently penalized by the on-ice officials. On this play, Johansen raises his stick as part of his pivoting motion to get around his opponent. This is a common movement uses regularly by NHL players when space is tight, however players who attempt this maneuver are responsible for ensuring they bring their stick back to the ice in a safe manner.
It continues by explaining that Johansen has no history with the league’s disciplinary arm, as he has never been suspended or fined in his career. That seems to have saved him from further punishment, as these violent stick infractions are often penalized with longer suspensions. As it stands, the Predators will be without Johansen for just the next few days. He will be eligible to return for the team’s game on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, before the team breaks for the All-Star festivities.
While two games without one of their star centers is difficult, the Predators are in a good position to deal with it even if they did eventually lose to the Jets. Nashville sits ten points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars in the Central Division, safely in the second playoff position. The bigger issue might be for Johansen going forward, given that this incident will now be taken into account every time he is involved in any play that may warrant supplementary discipline.
Minor Transactions: 01/18/19
Seven games are on tap for tonight across the NHL, including a prime time matchup between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals. The Islanders are trying to prove all of their doubters wrong and continue to compete in the Metropolitan Division, while the Capitals are ready to contend for their second Stanley Cup. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the movement around the league.
- The Nashville Predators have placed Zac Rinaldo on injured reserve, though the physical forward hasn’t played since the beginning of the month. Rinaldo has actually played 23 games for the Predators this year, more than many expected when he signed a one-year two-way deal in the summer.
- The New York Rangers have flipped backup goaltenders once again, sending Alexandar Georgiev to the Hartford Wolf Pack and recalling Marek Mazanec. The team has been making these moves all season in order to keep their backups fresh, and the two will likely be flipped back within a few days.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman Louis Belpedio from Iowa of the AHL. With Mathew Dumba on IR, Minnesota has been running with six defenders for the last little while. Belpedio has 10 points in 40 minor league games this season and has two assists in his lone career NHL contest.
- The Dallas Stars have brought back winger Denis Gurianov from AHL Texas. The 21-year-old impressed in an 11-game stint earlier this season and has been quite productive in the minors with 31 points in 29 games. Dallas has scored just three goals in the last four games so they’ll likely be hoping that Gurianov can help give them a lift offensively.
Ryan Johansen To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The Department of Player Safety is back on the case today, announcing that Nashville Predators forward Ryan Johansen will have a hearing today regarding the high-sticking incident from last night. Johansen was battling with Mark Scheifele in the corner before spinning and delivering a blow right to the head of Winnipeg Jets’ forward. The league will have to determine whether there was any intention on the play, and whether it rises to the level of supplementary discipline. Johansen did receive a minor penalty on the play.
This incident will surely just add even more fire to the battles between the Predators and Jets, two teams headed for another collision in the playoffs. Though the Calgary Flames have certainly entered the mix, these two are still considered top teams in the Western Conference and have absolute wars when on the ice together. Johansen, who has been involved in both on and off the ice trash talking in recent years, seems to often be in the middle of any extra curricular activity. He’s sure to be there again if they do end up facing off in the postseason.
For now though, Johansen is almost definitely going to face a suspension of some sort. Though it may have not been a premeditated action, it was obviously quite dangerous and could have resulted in a major injury. The Predators forward will have to pay for that, and very well could be out for the rest of January.
The Predators Have Been Linked To Wayne Simmonds
Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds projects to be one of the top rental forwards available between now and next month’s trade deadline. In an appearance on the NHL Network (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Predators are a team that has been linked to the 30-year-old. Nashville has plenty of cap room to absorb Simmonds’ $3.975MM deal this season and has enough players on below-market contracts that it’s certainly possible that they could fit him in on an extension as well. His 15 goals on the year would rank second to only Filip Forsberg among Nashville players and GM David Poile is known for trying to make a splash around the deadline.
Colby Cave, Phillip Di Giuseppe Placed On Waivers
Tuesday: While Cave was claimed by the Edmonton Oilers, Di Giuseppe has cleared waivers once again and was assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.
Monday: The Boston Bruins have placed Colby Cave on waivers today according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, exposing the 24-year old forward to the rest of the league. Cave will be joined on waivers by Phillip Di Giuseppe, who was only recently claimed by the Nashville Predators.
Cave has played 20 games for the Bruins this season after getting off to the best start of his minor league career, and has shown enough to perhaps draw some interest from around the league. The undrafted former WHL forward recorded 18 points in 15 games for the Providence Bruins, but could only contribute five during his stint in the NHL. Still, relatively young centers that can avoid getting filled in at even strength in the NHL aren’t all that easy to come by, meaning someone could take a chance on Cave tomorrow.
For Di Giuseppe, this is nothing new. The 25-year old forward had already been placed on and cleared waivers twice this season before the Predators claimed him on his third trip, meaning he very well could slip through this time around. Obviously the Hurricanes could choose to bring him back, but either way it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting regular minutes in the NHL anytime soon.
Schedule For Upcoming NHL “Bye Weeks”
For the third year in a row, the NHL has scheduled a mandated multi-day break for each team in the middle part of the season. Meant to give each team a rest, much like the bye week in the National Football League, this break also includes limits on practice, including several days in which all team activities are prohibited. A seven-day break this season, on paper an increase from the original five-day break, the “bye week” is actually less intrusive this season than it has been in the past despite the longer length. All 31 teams will take their break either right before or right after the upcoming All-Star Weekend, with those two days counting toward the seven and simply extending what has always been a short break for non-participants. Below are the lists of teams who will take leave on one side of All-Star festivities or the other:
Before All-Star Weekend (January 20 – 24)
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
New Jersey Devils
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning
Winnipeg Jets
After All-Star Weekend (January 27 – 31)
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New York Islanders
Ottawa Senators
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
How each team feels about taking an extended break in the middle of the season generally varies based on situational factors. While many players would enjoy getting to spend some time away with their families, others would rather keep the pedal to the metal mid-season. More specifically, a team that is playing well and stringing together wins would rather keep playing and not lose out on that momentum. Another team may be in a slump or struggling with injuries and desperately in need of a break. Either way, not every team will be in favor of the bye week each season.
There also remains some scheduling flaws with the mandated break, as most teams will only get the actual seven days or an eighth day off for travel, but others are set to go ten or eleven days without a contest. The “bye week” seems to be a move by the NHL that has enough support to continue in future seasons, but the league could work on sharpening the schedule so as to give teams as close to an even break as their competition as possible.
New York Rangers Trade Cole Schneider To Nashville Predators
The New York Rangers have traded minor league forward Cole Schneider to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Connor Brickley. Both players will be able to report directly to their new organization’s minor league affiliates.
Amazingly, this is the fourth consecutive season that the Hartford Wolf Pack have seen their captain traded midseason. Joe Whitney, Mathew Bodie and Ryan Bourque have all previously suffered the same fate, which at this point has become a tradition of sorts. Schneider will be heading to the Admirals after another strong start to the season, as he currently has 25 points in 36 games. Hartford though has been one of the weaker teams in the AHL and find themselves sitting with an 18-17-4 record and 13th in the Eastern Conference.
Brickley meanwhile will be leaving the Predators organization after less than a year, having only signed with the team last summer. Once a second-round pick and top prospect of the Florida Panthers, Brickley has twice become a Group VI unrestricted free agent because of his lack of opportunity at the NHL level. In 67 games including 44 last season, the 26-year old has 17 points.
Minor Transactions: 01/13/19
It’s a relatively busy Sunday for the NHL as six games are scheduled for today, including an afternoon tilt between the Nashville Predators and Carolina Hurricanes. While the league prepares for another important week, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Rourke Chartier back to the minor leagues, given the team doesn’t play again until Tuesday. The 22-year old forward has played 13 games with the Sharks this season but has just a single goal. He very well could be recalled once again in a few days.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Kole Sherwood, a 21-year old forward that spent time in the ECHL earlier this year. The hometown kid has seven points in 22 games for the AHL Cleveland Monsters, but will get a shot to see what life is like in the NHL for at least a little while.
- Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Nolan have bother been recalled by the St. Louis Blues, giving the team two forward options in very different situations. Kyrou is still trying to get his footing in his first season as a professional, but has recently found his way as the AHL Rookie of the Month for December. Nolan meanwhile is just trying to hold onto his NHL career after finding himself in the minor leagues this season for the first time since 2012-13.
- In a minor transaction, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis Blues’ goalie prospect Evan Fitzpatrick has been re-assigned from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL to the Tulsa of the ECHL. The scribe adds the transaction is significant because it likely suggests that prospect Ville Husso might be ready to return from injury, which could provide the Blues with a solid emergency goaltender down the road. The 20-year-old Fitzpatrick has served as an emergency backup already, but has spent most of his season in Tusla.
- The Vancouver Canucks announced they have assigned center Adam Gaudette to the Utica Comets of the AHL as the team expects the return of Josh Leivo, who has been out with back spasms. The former Hobey Baker Award winner spent the early portion of the season with Vancouver, learning as a bottom-line player, but was sent to Utica to get more playing time in. He has been producing in Utica, posting three goal and seven points in seven games, including a two goal, three-point performance on Jan. 5th. He was then recalled after Elias Pettersson went down with his knee injury and scored a goal in his one appearance on Thursday against Arizona.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL now that his conditioning stint is over. The team claimed Pickard off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers due to injuries to both Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper. However, with Kuemper healthy once again and the emergence of Adin Hill, the Coyotes would have to keep Pickard around as a third goaltender, which they may not want to do. Pickard struggled in four appearances in Tuscon, despite a 3-0 record, posting a 3.47 GAA and a .889 save percentage.
Central Notes: Simmonds, Delia, Schwartz
Despite a recent report that the Winnipeg Jets might be one of the many suitors for power forward Wayne Simmonds at the trade deadline, that may not be the case, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Weibe.
While the scribe writes that it makes perfect sense that the Nashville Predators and the Jets, the two top teams in the Central Division, would be interested in the 6-foot-2 winger who can score. However, with two impressive lines already, the team might be paying quite a bit to bring in a player for their third line, considering the team likely wouldn’t have enough money to sign him during the offseason anyway.
Wiebe adds that the team is more likely to either add a left-handed defenseman to add to their injury-depleted blueline or bring in a center for their second line, much like the team did a year ago when they went out and traded for Paul Stastny. That trade deadline acquisition was quite successful as Stastny gelled immediately with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, posting six goals and 17 points in the playoffs last season as they went all the way to the Western Conference Finals before losing to Vegas.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Chicago Blackhawks may have found their goaltender of the future in Collin Delia. The 24-year-old has been impressive since being called up to fill in for the injured Corey Crawford. While six games is a small sample size, Delia has been tested often by opposing team as he’s faced 245 shots on goal, yet has posted an admirable .939 save percentage and helped the Blackhawks to 10 of a possible 12 points in the standings when he’s in net. With Crawford’s long-term status in Chicago a question mark, the team has some hope that they already have his replacement ready to go.
- The Athletic’s Evan Sporer (subscription required) writes that while the 2017-18 season suggested the St. Louis Blues’ winger Jaden Schwartz was as consistent a player as the team had, it has been the total opposite this season. Schwartz has just one goal in the last 17 games and has had trouble putting the puck in the net on a struggling Blues team as he has just three goals and 17 points in 29 games this season. Sporer digs deeper, noting that Schwartz is taking shots as he is taking shots at a career-high level this season and is on target to 180 shots in 69 games. Despite that, Schwartz has been getting very similar looks from last year, but just hasn’t been able to put it in this season with the scribe suggesting that his goal totals could start increasing soon.