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Snapshots: Retirement, Meier, Hall

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As the season comes to an end for half the teams in the NHL, various older players—especially those without a contract for next season—will have to consider what comes next. Two of those players, Ryan Miller of the Anaheim Ducks and Jason Pominville of the Buffalo Sabres, were profiled today by Josh Cooper and Joe Yerdon of The Athletic (subscription required) and both had basically the same answer—”I’ll think about it after the season.”

It’s unclear what the future holds for each of them, but they are entering the summer in different situations. Miller, 38, still had a solid year for the Ducks despite his injury, but has been clear in the past that he wants to stay in Southern California (where his wife works as an actress). Pominville meanwhile is about to be a healthy scratch for the third time this season and will turn 37 in November. While his production is still adequate—the Sabres forward scored 15 goals and 28 points this season—there might not be a huge lineup at his front door on July 1st. Neither player is admitting that retirement is a possibility, but only because they’re still focused on the end of this year. A few more weeks and they might have a very different answer.

  • The NHL has issued a $2,000 fine to San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier for diving, a punishment that only kicks in for the second reported incident. Meier apparently was cited for embellishment on February 5th in Winnipeg, while this latest occurence took place in Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators. Meier received an unsportsmanlike penalty on the play. While these fines aren’t a huge bill for an NHL player to pay, on the fifth offense the head coach begins to receive similar punishments. Causing your boss to pay thousands of dollars in fines certainly isn’t something anyone wants to do, let alone a professional hockey player.
  • Taylor Hall’s name has kept coming up in trade speculation through a disastrous season for the New Jersey Devils and the reining Hart Trophy winner in particular, but that doesn’t mean the team is looking to move him. In fact, GM Ray Shero discussed Hall on the latest Executive Suite podcast and explained that he’ll approach him about a contract extension after the season ends. The two sides can’t officially sign a new deal until July 1st when Hall will have just a single year left on his deal, but they can certainly iron out the details.

Minor Transactions: 03/21/19

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After a relatively quiet Wednesday night in the NHL, the league is roaring back with 12 games on the schedule. Those include prime matchups that could go a long way in determining playoff seeding down the stretch. The Montreal Canadiens are fighting for their postseason lives in a matchup with Mathew Barzal and the New York Islanders, while the Dallas Stars are trying to put the Colorado Avalanche to bed once and for all. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The New Jersey Devils will be without Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher tonight, and have recalled Josh Jacobs to make his NHL debut in the latter’s place. Jacobs was a second round pick of the Devils in 2014 and has recorded 12 points in 60 games this season for the Binghamton Devils. Butcher is dealing with an illness and is not capable of playing.
  • Matt Read has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild once again under emergency conditions, the eleventh transaction to include the veteran forward this month. Read has played a total of seven games for Minnesota but has operated as valuable insurance on game days.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have sent defenseman Haydn Fleury back down to the AHL with Calvin de Haan ready to return to the lineup. After playing in 67 games with the Hurricanes last season, Fleury has only played in 17 with Carolina this year compared to 23 with the Charlotte Checkers.
  • With several forwards finally back at full health, the Calgary Flames made the expected move of sending Curtis Lazar back down to the minors. Lazar has had yet another disappointing season; the former second-round pick has played in just one game with the Flames this season after failing to produce consistently as a regular last season.

Minor Transactions: 03/20/19

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There’s only four games on the schedule for tonight in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be without fireworks. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres renew their rivalry, while the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals clash in a battle of Eastern Conference division leaders. As teams prepare, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • It wouldn’t be a weekday without a Justin Bailey transaction, as the Philadelphia Flyers forward has been sent back to the AHL once again. Bailey has been involved in eight transactions since the beginning of March, bouncing up and down as the team needs an extra body.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Colton White and Nick Lappin back to the minor leagues as they finally start to get healthy. The Devils were without nearly half of their normal roster recently, but could get several players back in the next few days. The team will welcome in the Boston Bruins tomorrow night, at which point White and Lappin could be on their way back up if more insurance is needed.
  • Defenseman Libor Sulak has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Detroit Red Wings, who may not have Trevor Daley back before the end of the season. Sulak is another one of the Red Wings’ young players to make his debut this season, and has played six NHL games.
  • Cameron Gaunce is back up with the Lightning, now that Dan Girardi has been downgraded from day-to-day to out indefinitely. Gaunce will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman until Anton Stralman is ready to return.
  • With Valtteri Filppula out for four weeks, the New York Islanders have recalled Tanner Fritz from the AHL. Fritz has played just four games with the Islanders this season, but offers an experienced professional to give the team some center depth while they deal with Filppula’s absence.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Adam Johnson from the AHL, while sending Joseph Blandisi and Juuso Riikola back down. Johnson is still waiting to make his NHL debut after signing out of the NCAA ranks almost two years ago, but is having an excellent season in the AHL with 40 points in 63 games.
  • Paul Carey has been recalled once again by the Boston Bruins, who also activated David Pastrnak today. Patrice Bergeron did miss practice, but head coach Bruce Cassidy deemed it a maintenance day and told reporters the star center would be just fine.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Andy Welinski from San Diego of the AHL.  He has been shuttled back and forth between the Ducks and Gulls in recent days based on their injury situation.  Welinski has played in 19 games with Anaheim so far this season, playing a little over 14 minutes a night.

Eastern Notes: Merzlikins, Giroux, Wood, Smith

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The Columbus Blue Jackets may be getting another big prospect into the organization sooner than later as The Athletic’s Tom Reed reports that goaltending prospect Elvis Merzlikins will likely soon sign an entry-level deal now that his Swiss League team has been eliminated. The 24-year-old prospect could find himself battling for Columbus’ starting goaltending job next season.

Expect that in the next few days, the Blue Jackets sign Merzlikins, who has been the starting goaltender for Lugano for the last six years, get his immigration papers in order and get him to Cleveland of the AHL to get into as much action as possible before the end of the season. The 24-year-old had an impressive season in the Swiss League with a .921 save percentage and a 2.44 GAA in 43 games this season. A third-round pick in 2014, Merzlikins has opted to stay overseas since drafted, but suggested last summer that he might come over this season. With Sergei Bobrovsky likely headed elsewhere in free agency this summer, the team could give Merzlikins a shot at the starting job.

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux may miss his first game in more than three years as interim head coach Scott Gordon said that Giroux is ill and will be a game-time decision Sunday, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. The 31-year-old has played in 256 straight games, dating back to February of 2016. If he can’t play, Justin Bailey will replace Giroux who has 20 goals and 76 points this season for Philadelphia.
  • The New Jersey Devils are without forward Miles Wood once again Sunday as he will continue to sit out with a right ankle fracture despite making the West Coast trip with the team, according to Chris Ryan of NJ.com. Wood, who has been out since Feb. 25, remains day-to-day. The 23-year-old hasn’t been as effective for New Jersey after a breakout 19-goal season a year ago as he has eight goals and 21 points in 56 games this season.
  • Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos stated on Hockey Night in Canada late last night that Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach D.J. Smith could draw quite a bit of interest as a head coaching candidate this offseason. Smith was considered a top candidate for the New York Islanders job before Barry Trotz came available and took the position. Smith may get quite a bit of interest from the Ottawa Senators this summer. Ottawa considered Smith back in 2016, but Toronto rejected their request to interview him. They hired Guy Boucher instead.

Minor Transactions: 03/17/19

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After a 12-game schedule on Saturday, the NHL has another seven games to wrap up the weekend, including several with playoff implications. Perhaps one of the most important will be the Minnesota Wild hosting the New York Islanders. A victory by the Wild would put them into a tie with the Arizona Coyotes for the final wild card spot in the West. In the meantime, teams continue to tweak their rosters throughout the day. Check to see what they’ve done:

  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. The Golden Knights reported that Marc-Andre Fleury has a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Fleury did not show for the morning skate and it is believed that Malcolm Subban will get the start Sunday. The 26-year-old Lagace has been playing well in Chicago with a 2.33 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
  • Nick Lappin has been busy lately, at least on paper. After being promoted from AHL Binghamton on Friday, the Devils forward was demoted yesterday. He’s now back with New Jersey, according to CapFriendly. The 26-year-old winger played in his tenth game this season with New Jersey the other night, but has yet to record a point. He has 27 points in 45 games with the minor league Devils.
  • Matt Read has also been a constant on the transaction wire, again being called up to the Minnesota Wild on an emergency basis, the team announced. A free agent addition this season, Read has played in seven games with Minnesota and another 53 with AHL Iowa, recording 33 points. If the Wild do manage to make the postseason, Read will be a valuable veteran depth option. If they miss, he can continue to be a core player for the farm team.

Jesper Boqvist Won't Come To North America To Finish The Season

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  • While there was some talk that Devils prospect Jesper Boqvist could make the jump to North America with his SHL season now complete, Corey Masisak of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the forward will remain in Sweden in the hopes of landing a spot on their entry into the upcoming World Championships. Boqvist was New Jersey’s second-round pick (36th overall) back in 2017 and finished tied for 14th in SHL scoring with 35 points (13-22-35) in 51 games.

Minor Transactions: 03/16/19

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The playoff picture received a shake-up last night. The Maple Leafs stormed back from down three to beat the Flyers, crushing Philadelphia’s postseason hopes in the process; the Blue Jackets blanked the Hurricanes to pull even in the wild card race; the Golden Knights held off the surging Stars, who had an opportunity to leapfrog the Blues in the Central race; and the Avalanche suffered an upset at the hands of the Ducks that may very well have wiped out their chances of a playoff run. We have entered the home stretch, as no team has more than a dozen games left on their regular season schedule. Each day’s slate of games will have more of an impact on the postseason placement than the next and today is no different, with match-ups like Blues-Penguins, Bruins-Blue Jackets, Flames-Jets, Capitals-Lightning, and Predators-Sharks that can cause four-point swings in playoff races. Even the smallest moves can be crucial the rest of the way, so keep up with all of those transactions here:

  • Cody Goloubef’s stint with the Ottawa Senators lasted just one game this time around, as the team has announced that the veteran defender has been reassigned to AHL Belleville. Goloubef has played in five NHL games with the Senators this season, which is five more than he had played with the Boston Bruins prior to a mid-season trade.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have made veteran defenseman Brian Lashoff an emergency recall, the team announced. The 28-year-old has not played in the NHL this season and in fact has just 17 games with Detroit to his credit since the end of the 2013-14 season, in which he started nearly every game for the team. Nevertheless, Lashoff – a leader for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins – earned a two-year extension this week and the Red Wings may be rewarding that commitment by giving the long-time defender another shot at the top level.
  • Jacob Middleton’s shot at filling a gap on the Sharks’ blue line was short-lived. CapFriendly reports that the rookie defenseman has been returned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. Fortunately, that just means he’s down the hall in the other locker room, so Middleton can easily be used as needed down the stretch. With Radim Simek done for the year and Erik Karlsson still sidelined, the Sharks are thin on the back end and Middleton has been a consistent defensive asset for the Barracuda this season.
  • The back-and-forth continues for Jordan Kyrou, who has been reassigned by the St. Louis Blues yet again in his fourth move in about 48 hours. This time, Kyrou’s roster spot has been lost to the return of David Perron. The Blues announced that Perron has been activated from the injured reserve and will re-join the lineup. The veteran winger has missed the past 24 games with an upper-body injury, but is finally ready to get back to work. St. Louis could use the help as their hot streak has faded some and the Dallas Stars are suddenly right on their heels.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled Justin Bailey from the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It his fourth recall in the last five weeks since Feb. 10. The team needs that extra forward with Mikhail Vorobyev injured Wednesday. Bailey has played seven games for the Flyers this season with no points.
  • Despite a recall Friday, the New Jersey Devils have chosen to re-assign forward Nick Lappin to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. Lappin did not play Friday. The 26-year-old forward has 16 goals and 27 points in 45 games with Binghamton.
  • The Boston Bruins have assigned forward Trent Frederic to the Providence Bruins of the AHL, according to Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont. Frederic was recalled Tuesday as an emergency call-up, but several player getting healthier, including the return of Jake Debrusk, the team can return him to Providence. The 21-year-old has appeared in 13 games for Boston, but has failed to register a point.

Minor Transactions: 03/15/19

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The NHL has six games scheduled for this Friday night and at least one of them is must-see television for those who are watching the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The Carolina Hurricanes travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets in a huge matchup that could decide their playoff fates. The Montreal Canadiens find themselves two points behind the Hurricanes and tied with the Blue Jackets for the wild card spots, meaning they have a chance to catch whichever team loses tonight. As teams prepare for the final stretch drive, we’ll be here to keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers will have Jakub Voracek back in the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, so there was no need to keep Justin Bailey up in the NHL. The young forward has been reassigned to the minor leagues, where he has eight points in 16 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
  • Last night, the New Jersey Devils recalled Nick Lappin and Eric Tangradi from the minor leagues once again and could have them in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Devils have been decimated lately with injury, and are just playing out the string with no hope of making the playoffs this season.
  • Landon Bow has been recalled by the Dallas Stars, as the team waits to see how long Ben Bishop will be out with his latest injury. Bishop has been back at his Vezina-caliber level this season, but will need a little more to help the Stars do any damage in the playoffs.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Jordan Kyrou again, his third transaction in the span of a day. The young forward will get a chance to help the Blues down the stretch and into the playoffs after a dominant season at the AHL level.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Joseph Gambardella from the minor leagues, giving them another forward option as they try to hold onto their playoff hope. Gambardella is among the league leaders in goal scoring in the AHL with 27 in 45 games, but failed to record a point in his four games earlier this season for the Oilers.
  • The San Jose Sharks have sent a pair of forwards to the minor leagues, assigning Lukas Radil and Dylan Gambrell to the San Jose Barracuda. Gambrell knows this game having been bounced up and down all year, but Radil hasn’t spent much time in the AHL this season. The team did include Radil in a paper transaction at the deadline, meaning he is eligible for AHL playoffs if the team chooses to keep him down.

Minor Transactions: 03/13/19

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The NHL is quiet on this Wednesday evening, with only three games on the schedule. In Edmonton, the Oilers will try to keep their season alive against the New Jersey Devils, while in Toronto they just try to forget the beat down they suffered earlier this week. With most of the league resting today, there will likely be several minor moves to keep track of. Like always, we’ll do that right here.

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Paul Carey from the minor leagues according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. Carey has 20 points in 21 games since being acquired by the Bruins in mid-Januaray, and could potentially jump right into the NHL lineup. The 30-year old forward has long been an excellent scoring threat at the minor league level, but has totaled just 16 points across 97 NHL appearances.
  • The Bruins have also recalled Connor Clifton from Providence, while assigning Peter Cehlarik back down to the AHL. Clifton, 23, has played in just nine NHL games this season but has been dynamic in the minor leagues with 27 points.
  • Colton White was returned to the minor leagues last night, without actually getting a chance with the New Jersey Devils. The 21-year old defenseman has 25 points in 61 games for the Binghamton Devils this season, but will have to wait a little longer to make his NHL debut.
  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Filip Chlapik back down, since he was only on an emergency recall. The young forward will get plenty of opportunity in the coming years to make an impact for Ottawa, but for now will continue his development with the Belleville Senators.
  • With Robin Lehner getting ready to make his returned to the New York net, the Islanders have reassigned Christopher Gibson back to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The 26-year-old Finnish keeper has been stellar in two appearances with the Isles this season, posting a .941 save percentage and 1.50 GAA in two periods of relief. However, he may be yet another beneficiary of the team’s system; his underlying AHL numbers – a .900 save percentage and a 2.89 GAA – and his previous NHL outings suggest he’s still not playing at an NHL level.
  • The AHL’s Hershey Bears have signed veteran Joey Leach to a contract for the remainder of the season. Leach, 27, had been loaned to Hershey from their AHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, but did enough in 17 games with the Bears to earn a contract. Leach was both the captain of the Stingrays and one of their most valuable player. He had 20 points in 28 games with the team prior to his loan, suiting up at both defense and forward.

Minor Transactions: 03/11/19

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We’re another week closer to the 2019 NHL Playoffs, and every game is incredibly important for those teams looking to snatch the final few spots. The New York Islanders will welcome in the desperate Columbus Blue Jackets tonight in a game that could make the Metropolitan Division race even more interesting. As teams prepare for all the action tonight, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled Colton White from the minor leagues, his first chance to join the NHL team. White, a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2015, has 25 points in 61 games this season in his first full season at the AHL level. The 21-year old defenseman split the 2017-18 season between the AHL and ECHL, turning in a brilliant performance in the Kelly Cup playoffs.
  • Lee Stempniak has been assigned to the Providence Bruins after suiting up twice for the Boston Bruins. Stempniak signed a deal just before the trade deadline to provide some veteran depth for the Bruins, but isn’t expected to play a big role with the NHL club. Instead he’ll return to Providence where he had five points in seven games before being called up.
  • Filip Chlapik is on his way back to the Ottawa Senators, recalled under emergency conditions. Chlapik was held out of the Belleville Senators’ afternoon game in Toronto, but has an impressive 30 points in 45 games for the AHL club.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Joseph Blandisi under emergency conditions, giving them some insurance in case Zach Aston-Reese can’t play tomorrow night. Blandisi has played just a single game for Pittsburgh since coming over from the Anaheim Ducks, but does have 15 points in 17 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

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