Minor Transactions: 12/1/18
It’s a full day of hockey today across the NHL, with Sharks-Senators kicking off the action with an early afternoon matinee, Stars-Canucks later on in the afternoon, and ten more contests on the way tonight. With 24 teams in action, it’s fair to expect some movement over the course of the day, even if all eyes will be on William Nylander regardless. Keep up with all of the minor transactions here:
- After claiming Valentin Zykov off waivers, the Edmonton Oilers have made a move to open up a roster spot. The team announced that forward Patrick Russell has been returned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Russell, a native of Denmark, was on his first career NHL call-up after signing with the Oilers out of St. Cloud State University in 2016. Russell was held scoreless in his four games with Edmonton, albeit with limited ice time, but was involved at both ends and should see another opportunity soon.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled veteran defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer, the team announced. The 29-year-old is in the second season of a two-year minimum deal, during which he has primarily played with the Belleville Senators in the AHL. Named the minor league Sens’ captain this season, Burgdoerfer has six points in 16 games in Belleville and leads the team with a +5 rating. Burgdoerfer has only played in one game with Ottawa this year, but is expected to see some more action on this call-up. The Senators then announced after their 6-2 victory over San Jose that Burgdoerfer has been returned to Belleville. He was just recalled as a emergency forward and did not play in the game.
- Eeli Tolvanen is back in the NHL, as the Nashville Predators have recalled their top prospect per a team release. It wasn’t long ago that Tolvanen was considering returning to the KHL this season, but opted instead to stay stateside and work toward a regular role for Nashville. It’s unclear if this call-up will be long-term or not, but Tolvanen has 11 in 21 games, tied for second among forwards on the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, and has shown flashes of brilliance amid some streaky play. Tolvanen already has an NHL skill set and would be better served to stay in the NHL if the Predators can afford the roster spot and regular play time.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have activated both Brett Pesce and Haydn Fleury from the injured reserve, the team announced, signaling the end of the brief debut call-up of promising young defenseman Jake Bean. Bean has been returned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, but not before he skated in two games with the Hurricanes and looked comfortable competing at the NHL level. Bean has 11 points on the year and a +6 rating, both second among Checkers defenseman. Bean is the next man up for Carolina and hopefully will get another look sooner rather than later.
- The New Jersey Devils announced that they have activated defenseman Steven Santini and have assigned forward Michael McLeod to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL to make room for him. Santini has been with Binghamton since Nov. 20 on a conditioning loan after suffering a broken jaw. The 23-year-old has only played in one game for New Jersey this season and played in just three with Binghamton, going scoreless. McLeod, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, had a brief callup, but did make his NHL debut, but failed to register a point in that one game. He will continue to develop his skills in the AHL where he has three goals and 10 points in 21 games.
- With the Winnipeg Jets placing Joe Morrow on injured reserve, the Jets announced they have recalled defenseman Nelson Nogier from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The 22-year-old stay-at-home defender has just one assist in 22 games for the Moose, but offers the team some size at 6-foot-2. He joins a bunch of Manitoba players on the Jets’ current roster, including Mason Appleton, Sami Niku and Cameron Schilling.
Nashville Predators Place Kyle Turris On Injured Reserve, Recall Rocco Grimaldi
After exiting Friday night’s game following a bit hit from Brayden Schenn, Nashville Predators forward Kyle Turris has been placed on injured reserve. The team has recalled Rocco Grimaldi from the AHL in his place. Turris will be forced to miss at least the next three Predators games, though no update has been given on his timeline.
The Predators were dismantled by the St. Louis Blues in Friday’s game, with Juuse Saros allowing five goals on 15 shots before giving up the net. Nashville will be looking to get back into the win column tonight when they welcome in the Anaheim Ducks, but will now have to do it without another one of their top players. The team is already missing Viktor Arvidsson and P.K. Subban, meaning they’ll have to rely on some of their other talents to carry them through the next little while.
Up front, even more responsibility will likely be heaped onto the shoulders of Nick Bonino, who has been a stalwart defensive presence fr the team but has just three goals and nine points on the year. The 30-year old forward hasn’t had quite the impact that was expected when he signed a four-year $16.4MM deal in 2017 but will get an opportunity to show he can step into an offensive role while Turris is out. Colton Sissons has also seen his role increased recently, playing a season-high 20:19 just a few days ago against the Los Angeles Kings.
Grimaldi meanwhile has played six games for the Predators this season but has just one goal to show for it, instead doing most of his damage at the minor league level. The 25-year old forward has been used in spot duty throughout his career, suiting up just 43 times since signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2014. An extremely talented offensive player, Grimaldi is held back—or perhaps overlooked—at times due to his small 5’6″ frame.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Martinsson, Kovar, Niagara
Eric Martinsson‘s days with the Minnesota Wild seem to be numbered, but he’s not likely to be too upset about it. Swedish new source “Hockey News SE” reports that the Martinsson and the Wild have come to a mutual agreement that the recent free agent signing is to be placed on unconditional waivers in the near future for the purpose of terminating his contract. Martinsson, 26, signed with Minnesota back in May, looking to make the jump overseas after a successful stretch in the Swedish Hockey League with the Vaxjo Lakers. Instead of earning a spot on the NHL roster, Martinsson was in fact a relatively early cut from training camp. While the puck-moving blue liner has nine points through 13 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, he seems no closer to pushing for a chance in Minnesota than he did before the season began. As such, Martinsson would like to return home to Sweden and the Wild are expected to oblige him. Eric Martinsson is just the latest in a stream of players departing the North American minors to return to Europe this season, although Hockey New SE speculates that Martinsson’s return will be of considerable interest to many teams in the SHL.
- Veteran forward Jan Kovar is also pondering a return to Europe. Kovar signed with the New York Islanders this summer after years of success in the KHL and in his native Czech Republic. Kovar was expected to not only compete for a job with the Isles, but potentially even center a scoring line. Instead, Kovar proved to be a poor fit with the team in camp and did not crack the starting lineup. His contract was quickly terminated, but in holding out hope for another NHL opportunity, he signed with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Kovar has nine points in ten games with Providence, while their parent club, the Boston Bruins, have struggled with injuries and consistency, but no contract offer seems to be coming. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver now reports that Kovar has not practiced with the team in two days and is supposedly weighing overseas contract offers. Divver believes that Kovar has offers in the KHL and NLA, as well as back home in the Czech Republic, but no such opportunities in North America. Divver additionally questions whether Kovar plays with the requisite pace to succeed in the NHL, a criticism that has come up frequently during his brief efforts this season.
- Less than 25 games into the season doesn’t seem to be too early for a blockbuster trade in the Ontario Hockey League. The Kingston Frontenacs, with just seven win thus far the second-worst record in the league, have cashed in on two of their best assets. The Niagara Ice Dogs announced today that they have acquired Jason Robertson and Jacob Paquette from Kingston. Robertson, a second-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2017, has back-to-back 80+ point seasons and is currently fourth among OHL scoring leaders with 38 points and second in goals with 23. Paquette, a seventh-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2017, is a big, physical defender and a locker room leader as well. Niagara is currently tied for second in the Central Division and tied for sixth overall in the league, but will almost certainly see a considerable boost from this trade. Yet, Kingston also received a king’s ransom in the deal. The Ice Dogs surrendered a total of eleven future draft picks, including three second-rounders and three third-rounders, as well as promising draft-eligible defenseman Billy Constantinou and forward Ian Martin. The Frontenacs may have disappointed their fans by virtually giving up on the season less than halfway in, but will reward them with a solid flow of talent for years to come.
Minor Transactions: 11/20/18
The NHL is awash with news today despite only one game being on the schedule. St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers fans are dealing with the announcements that their coaches have been fired, while folks in Boston are just hoping for a quick recovery for Patrice Bergeron. Meanwhile, many other teams are busy tweaking their rosters in preparation for the rest of the week. We’ll be right here to keep track of all those minor moves:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Gabriel Carlsson back to the minor leagues, after he has sat out for the last few days as the extra defenseman. Carlsson has played in just one game with the Blue Jackets this season, but has six points in 12 contests with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Rather than let their 2015 first-round pick waste away in the press box, they’ll give him the opportunity to get back into game action.
- Robbie Russo is on his way back to the AHL for the Arizona Coyotes, who have also involved Dakota Mermis and Mario Kempe in a paper transaction. That means, as Craig Morgan of The Athletic points out, that the latter two are still with the team despite being listed on the AHL roster. Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun both practiced with the team today, meaning more decisions on minor league assignments could be coming down the pipe.
- With Bergeron sidelined for at least four weeks, the Boston Bruins have recalled Colby Cave from the AHL. Cave is currently leading the Providence Bruins in scoring with 18 points, and could potentially serve as some added offensive punch for a team that will be sorely missing it.
- Prior to their game tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, the San Jose Sharks have flipped Dylan Gambrell back to the minor leagues in exchange for Lukas Radil. The latter was very close to making the Sharks roster out of camp after signing in the summer, has shown he can compete in the minor leagues. Now 28, Radil has a decade of professional experience in the Czech league and KHL.
- With Ben Bishop on the shelf for a week, the Dallas Stars have recalled goaltender Landon Bow from the minor leagues to serve as the backup. While he has just an .896 save percentage for the Texas Stars this season, he serves as another example of a big-bodied netminder that is given the chance to develop slowly in the professional setting. The 6’5″ Bow performed admirably at the end of his junior career and was snatched up by the Stars who believed they could turn him into an NHL option, and for at least the next few days he’ll get his chance.
- Wade Megan has been sent back to the AHL by the Detroit Red Wings, with six games under his belt this month. Megan was held scoreless in those six contests, but they more than doubled his career total to this point. The Red Wings will likely use Megan as an emergency replacement this season whenever they deal with injuries, after signing him to a one-year, two-way contract in the summer.
- The Nashville Predators gave Rocco Grimaldi a great shot to earn a regular role early this season, but as is always the case for the undersized forward, he is again on his way to the minor leagues. The Predators announced that they have reassigned Grimaldi to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals after he recorded just one point in six games over the last month with the NHL club. A second-round pick out of the University of North Dakota back in 2011, Grimaldi has had a highly productive AHL career with the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche organizations, but hoped to find more opportunity when he signed with Nashville as a free agent this summer.
- Thatcher Demko‘s stay in Vancouver is over, although it never really began. The AHL’s Utica Comets announced that the Canucks had returned Demko to them, after the young goaltender began the season on the injured reserve with a concussion. Demko has still played in just one NHL game in his career, though it makes sense to let him get back to normal in the minors before considering giving him another shot at the big leagues.
Minor Transactions: 11/19/18
Nine games grace the NHL stage tonight including some key matchups featuring some of the best teams in the league. Perhaps the best example of that is when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Nashville Predators in a battle of Stanley Cup contenders. As teams prepare for their big night, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Washington Capitals are expected to have Braden Holtby dressed once again as he returns from injury, and have sent Ilya Samsonov back down to the minor leagues. Taking his place on the roster is young defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, who has played two games for the Capitals this season. Samsonov is one of the top goaltending prospects in the world, but will have to wait for his next opportunity before making his NHL debut.
- Micheal Haley is back with the Florida Panthers, as the team recalled him today along with Dryden Hunt. Denis Malgin and Maxim Mamin were reassigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds to make room. Haley, 32, spent the start of the season away from the team working with the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, but has now resumed his career and will try to inject some physicality and energy into the Panthers lineup.
- The Arizona Coyotes have returned three players to the AHL as they make room for other on the roster returning to health. CapFriendly reports that forward Mario Kempe and defensemen Dakota Mermis and Robbie Russo have all been reassigned to the Tuscon Roadrunners. Russo did not see any game action on his first recall of the season, while Mermis skated in just over eleven minutes in his one appearance and Kempe recorded a team-low 10:22 ATOI in four games. The trio don’t seem to have the trust of the coaching staff just yet and the Coyotes likely hope that they can stay healthy enough to avoid seeing any of the group for a while.
Central Notes: Schmaltz, Fiala, Hendricks
Very little has gone right with the Chicago Blackhawks in their first 20 games this season. They have changed coaches after Joel Quenneville lost five straight and little has gone right since then as new head coach Jeremy Colliton has gone 1-2-2 since then. Regardless, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) breaks down the play of every player through the first 20 games.
Perhaps the most expected criticism comes to Nick Schmaltz, who many people had pegged as having a breakout season this year. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened as he has just two goals and eight points so far this year. Yet Powers notes that while many criticize his play for a lack of shooting, Schmaltz has actually increased that to 5.17 shots on goal per 60 minutes — the highest in his career. Quenneville moved him to wing in hopes of sparking that offense, which Colliton has maintained, yet the team is still waiting for an increase in production.
“I think he can be more active away from the puck,” Colliton said. “He can be a little more engaged in 50/50s at times. But he’s showing flashes of that. I thought his third period after we moved him to Arty’s line there he was really good. I think look back to the Carolina game in their rink he was maybe our best player. That’s what we want out of him more consistently. We got to see if he can play center because I think he could really add a lot to our team. When that happens, I don’t know. There’s a lot of upside there, no question.”
- Nashville Predators forward Kevin Fiala found himself getting very little ice time between the second and third periods Saturday against Los Angeles, getting only three shifts as Ryan Hartman took his place in 5×5 play, while he lost his power play role to Calle Jarnkrok. However, when asked about why Fiala lost playing time, head coach Peter Laviolette said it was just a coincidence, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. “Sometimes it’s just the way the game is going inside of the lines and the numbers,” said Laviolette. “We made a move and put Ryan Hartman up there, and all of the sudden they had a good shift. We went into the game with the thought of Calle and Kevin splitting power-play time. Kevin got the first one, and Calle ended up getting the second one and looked good on it. We just stuck with it. It seemed to be working, so we made the switches.”
- Mike Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Minnesota Wild might be better off without veteran Matt Hendricks who has gotten into two straight games for the Wild. However, the scribe points out that the team plays better when Hendricks is out of the lineup as the team’s fourth line of Marcus Foligno, Eric Fehr and J.T. Brown have been fantastic together. Minnesota is 10-2 when Hendricks is not in the lineup, compared to 2-4-2 with him. Coincidentally, Russo reports that Hendricks will be a healthy scratch today.
Josh Archibald To Receive Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The league’s Department of Player Safety has been awfully busy this season, and have more work to do today. Arizona Coyotes forward Josh Archibald will have a hearing about his illegal check to the head last night of Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman. Archibald was penalized on the play, in which it appeared as though he hit Hartman’s head directly.
The two-minute penalty that Archibald received was actually his first of the season, and though he’s not a player that shies away from contact he certainly isn’t a headhunter either. The 5’10” 176-lbs winger is just fighting to stay in the league after he was traded to Arizona last season and was given his first opportunity to suit up on a regular basis. In nine games this season he has zero points, and has posted very poor possession numbers.
That makes any suspension easier to take for the Coyotes, but tough for a player who has a tenuous grasp on the NHL. The 26-year old is in the second season of a two-year contract that carries a cap hit of $700K, and will be looking for a qualifying offer this summer as he becomes a restricted free agent for the final time—that is, if he gets into another 18 games and becomes ineligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency.
Viktor Arvidsson Out Six To Eight Weeks With Broken Thumb
The Nashville Predators only just got Viktor Arvidsson back off injured reserve before having to send him back with a new injury, and today they revealed how long he’ll be out for. Adam Vingan of The Athletic reports that Arvidsson will miss six to eight weeks with a broken thumb, meaning the talented forward could very well be out of the lineup for the rest of 2018.
Arvidsson is one of the heartbeats of the Predators offense, and was off to a great start this season with eight goals and 13 points in his first 13 games. That put him well on his way to another 30-goal season, and may have even gotten him over the 61-point mark he’s hit the last two seasons. Now, by missing two months in the middle of the season he will almost assuredly miss both of those milestones. The Predators will suffer because of it, especially given the fact that P.K. Subban has also been moved to injured reserve and will be out at least a week. The team still sits in first place in the Central Division, but is at risk of being caught by the Minnesota Wild or Winnipeg Jets, both currently within four points.
The 25-year old’s return will feel like a trade deadline acquisition for the Predators, who despite wanting to win the Central are focused on the postseason this year. The team is once again considered a favorite for the Stanley Cup, but will need all hands on deck to defeat some of the other powerhouses in the Western Conference. Subban and Arvidsson are key players who absolutely must be healthy by the time the playoffs roll around, meaning the team will surely play it slow with their recovery timelines.
Shea Weber Ahead Of Schedule With Injury Rehab
After 33-year-old Shea Weber underwent knee surgery this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens announced an expected return date of mid-December and even that seemed optimistic. Yet, Weber practiced with the team for the first time this week and now a mid-December return looks very realistic if not excessive. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Weber is considered to be “two weeks ahead” of schedule and could possibly make his season debut by the end of November or first week of December.
Weber is entering his third season with the Canadiens since coming over from the Nashville Predators in the blockbuster trade that sent P.K. Subban packing. Weber’s first season in Montreal was a huge success; the six-time All-Star registered 42 points and a +20 rating in 78 games. Last season was quite different, as the torn meniscus in his right knee limited Weber to just 26 games.
When Weber returns to the ice, it will likely be more than eleven months since his last game action. The Athletic’s Arpon Basu asks the fair question of whether or not the Canadiens should expect Weber to be the same player when he returns. Perhaps the even better questions should be just how much Montreal should ask of Weber once he is deemed healthy. Normally, a player of Weber’s age and experience is often expected to jump right back in to his regular role. However, Weber still has eight years left remaining on his contract and the Habs need to consider his long-term health just as much as his immediate impact. Allowing the veteran to ease back into his role gives the team the best chance to once again enjoy his Norris-caliber play, even if it is not this season. Montreal is certainly excited to have Weber back, but considering how well the team has played early on this year, they can afford to give their captain all the time he needs to get back to full strength.
Reactions To Tom Wilson’s Suspension Reduction
When a polarizing player like Tom Wilson ends up on the winning side of a suspension appeal, the response from the masses is predictably negative. Wilson’s latest dirty hit, a check to the head of St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist, was as bad as any in Wilson’s murky history and few batted an eye at the resulting 20-game suspension. Yet, his appeal’s final stage landed with a neutral arbitrator who took issue with the NHL Department of Player Safety’s use of a multiplier that was not rooted in the Collective Bargaining Agreement nor was it supported by precedent. Just like that, Wilson’s suspension was reduced to 14 games and he is right back on the ice tonight for the Washington Capitals. Unsurprisingly, fans, pundits, and competitors alike are not impressed with the decision:
- One of the few happy to see Wilson back early is Washington GM Brian MacLellan and even he is treading carefully on the subject. MacLellan sat down with NHL.com’s Dan Rose and made it clear that Wilson has to change his game if he wants to stay on the ice. “We’ve talked about it numerous times,” MacLellan said, “there are certain hits that he just has to stop trying… He’s going to have to avoid some hits and he’s going to have to let up on some hits also. You can’t have the same force because he hits hard and it looks bad, and sometimes he’s going to be evaluated on the force.” For MacLellan and the Caps – who signed Wilson to a massive six-year, $31MM contract this off-season – they simply need Wilson to stay active and contribute, as they’re paying him to do. “At the end of the day, missing 15, 16 games, it can’t happen,” Wilson himself commented on the incident. The question now is whether or not MacLellan and the team can actually influence Wilson into changing his playing style.
- One fellow player frustrated with both the process and result is Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Matt Cullen. Cullen, 42, has been around longer than virtually every other player in the NHL today and knows a thing or two about how the game operates, or at least how it should. Cullen told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that “When the next CBA comes up, that’s something we (should) address… I don’t think anybody is real happy with it.” Mackey points out that Cullen is unlikely to still be around when the next agreement is negotiated, but the opinion of a respected player still carries weight. Cullen is disappointed not only in the reduction of the suspension – the rival Penguins are no fans of Wilson – but more so in how it occurred. “I don’t think it’s a good look for our league, for our game to need to go to appeals… You’d like the headlines to be about the play on the ice and the players, not the other (stuff) going on outside of the game… I think most guys probably don’t love that — that it got reduced in that manner as far as going to appeal after appeal.” Interestingly, neutral arbitration is very much a player-friendly process that the NHLPA fought for. The idea is to take away any bias from the league by allowing a third party to review all of the facts independently. Yet, Cullen makes a good point that the ordeal is lengthy and not ideal optically either. Especially given that the Department of Player Safety is run mostly by former players, perhaps Cullen speaks on behalf of all players that in the next CBA they would be better off with eliminating the independent arbitrator.
- And what of the arbitrator himself? Shyam Das has been a thorn in the side of the NHL, but likely won’t be for much longer. While an independent arbitrator, Das is employed by the league for his services. In overturning Wilson’s suspension, Das has now decided for the player in each of his three cases for the league: Wilson, Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson, and then-Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman. Each of those three cases were high-profile and concerning a sensitive subject; Wideman attacked a referee, Watson was accused of domestic assault, and Wilson is the league’s most notorious “thug”. In each instance, the NHL would have very much liked to have seen their decision hold, only to have Das contradict them. Das was fired by Major League Baseball for similarly one-sided decisions and his time with the NHL will likely end the same way.