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Minor Transactions: 3/11/17

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Here is a rundown of today’s minor roster moves:

  • The Canucks announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled left winger Joseph Labate from Utica of the AHL and it’s expected that he will suit up later tonight against Pittsburgh. Labate made his NHL debut earlier this season and has been held off the scoresheet through five games.  He has also suited up in 29 games with the Comets in the minors, collecting 13 points (4-9-13) along with 63 penalty minutes.
  • With goalie John Gibson being activated off injured reserve, the Ducks announced they have assigned Jhonas Enroth to AHL San Diego. Enroth didn’t get into a game with Anaheim during his recall despite putting up some stellar numbers in the minors.  In a dozen games with the Gulls, Enroth is 10-2 with a 1.42 GAA and a .944 SV%.
  • The Predators have recalled winger Miikka Salomaki from his injury conditioning assignment in Milwaukee, via the AHL’s transactions page. He isn’t in the lineup for today’s game against the Sharks, however.  Salomaki has been out of the lineup since mid-October with a lower body injury and has played in just two games with Nashville this season.  He played in four games with the Admirals during his conditioning stint, collecting a goal along with four penalty minutes.
  • It appears New Jersey goaltender Keith Kinkaid is feeling well enough to dress tonight against the Coyotes. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned Ken Appleby to Albany of the AHL while recalling left winger Blake Pietila on an emergency basis.  The 24 year old forward has spent most of the season in the minors where he has 29 points (15-14-29) through 42 games while going pointless in a pair of NHL contests.  Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice adds (via Twitter) that Pietila will fill in tonight for Devante Smith-Pelly (lower body injury).

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Cizikas, Sprong

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Draft picks are always an important trade currency but this offseason they could carry more importance than usual which, as Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media suggests, could make things interesting for the Devils.  GM Ray Shero hasn’t hesitated to move picks for players at the June Entry Draft but something similar could happen in advance of the Vegas expansion draft as teams like the Devils may look to take advantage of unprotected lists and flip a pick or two for a player at that time.

As things currently stand, New Jersey has 11 draft picks for the 2017 draft and aren’t the deepest of teams which could make them a team to watch for as the expansion draft approaches if they decide to try to make a move for someone that’s slated to be unprotected.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan:

  • The Islanders could get some good news on the injury front shortly as center Casey Cizikas is recovering quicker than anticipated from a broken hand, reports Newsday’s Arthur Staple. Cizikas suffered the injury on February 21st and was expected to miss at least a month but instead, he could be back in the lineup sometime next week.  The 25 year old has 23 points (7-16-23) in 53 games with New York this year while logging a career high in ice time at 14:02 per game.
  • Pittsburgh could potentially make an intriguing addition late in the season or in the playoffs, notes Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2015 second round pick Daniel Sprong is lighting up the QMJHL with 50 points in 27 games, including 30 goals.  He also has made some strides in the defensive end which was a big factor in him being returned to the junior level this year.  If the Penguins are comfortable with his two-way game, he could be a late addition to deepen out their lineup.  However, they won’t be able to bring him up until his junior team, the Charlottetown Islanders, is eliminated from their own postseason.

Snapshots: Devils, Blackhawks, Red Wings

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The New Jersey Devils face lineup uncertainties before tomorrow night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Andrew Gross of the NJ Record reports that backup goalie Keith Kinkaid may not be ready to dress tomorrow night, and that goaltender Ken Appleby will stay with the team as insurance. Kinkaid suffered a right knee injury in Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Appleby—an undrafted free agent—has a 2.44 GAA and a .909 SV%  in 27 games with the AHL Albany Devils this year.
  • Staying with the Devils, Andrew Gross also reports that forward Miles Wood should play in tomorrow’s game despite crashing into the board today in practice. Wood is having a decent rookie season—though he did dress for one game last season—scoring 8G and 7A in 47 games. The Buffalo, NY native was taken in the 4th round of the 2013 NHL draft.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks will sit defensemen Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, but Chicago Sun-Times writer Mark Lazerus reports that coach Joel Quenneville is resting the pair rather than holding them out for injury concerns. Tonight’s game is the second game of a back-to-back, and the second of three in four nights. As the playoffs get closer, it is common for coaches to rest their veteran players in anticipation of a gruelling post-season. The Blackhawks known better than any other team the value of maintaining fuel for a long playoff run. The team has a reputation for not playing in its highest gear until the playoffs start.
  • Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard returns from a long absence tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Howard sprained his knee on December 20th against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and then suffered a setback in February on a conditioning stint in the AHL. Howard’s injury came at a grossly unfortunate time as he was posting career-best numbers. In 17 games before his injury Howard had a .934 SV% and a 1.96 GAA. The presumptive backup to start the season, Howard made life difficult for coach Jeff Blashill by outplaying fellow goaltender Petr Mrazek. The Red Wings have to protect one of the two goaltenders, and Howard’s stellar play so far has complicated that decision for management. He will start tonight against Chicago.

Snapshots: Schultz, Fines, Zajac

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When Justin Schultz came out of the University of Wisconsin to sign with the Edmonton Oilers, it started out well. With 48 points in 34 AHL contests during the lockout, it did look like he had Norris-trophy potential, as then-GM Craig MacTavish said later. As Mark Spector of Sportsnet writes, it started to erode for Schultz soon after. The defenseman now sits among the leaders in points in the league from defensemen, and has been a perfect fit in Pittsburgh this season.

While Spector goes through the history of his demise in Edmonton, it will be interesting to follow his contract negotiation this summer. At just $1.4MM this season, Schultz is due for a huge raise as he becomes a restricted free agent on July 1st. At 26 years old, the Penguins will be buying out almost entirely UFA years if they extend him long-term, meaning the AAV will be substantial. Pittsburgh will have an interesting off season, with Schultz, Conor Sheary, Brian Dumoulin and Derrick Pouliot all RFAs, and several key players set to hit the open market. While Schultz will likely be priority #1, it will be a tough negotiation.

  • The NHL has handed down $2000 embellishment fines to both Jake Muzzin and Johnny Gaudreau for separate incidents. The league gives out a warning on the first instance, meaning that Muzzin and Gaudreau have been told already to stop diving. Muzzin in particular was given his warning after an October 14th game against Philadelphia, and this fine comes from an incident against Vancouver last weekend. Subsequent fines will increase to a maximum of $5000, but will also carry a financial penalty for the head coach should the player receive five citations.
  • Travis Zajac will miss the New Jersey Devils next game as he left the team today to return home. His wife is expecting their third child any day now. With the Devils out of a playoff race and stuck at the bottom of the standings, Zajac likely won’t be rushed back into the lineup. Their quest now for the best draft pick available is more important than winning games.

Injury Notes: Stamkos, Borowiecki, Kinkaid

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Steven Stamkos was again skating with teammates this morning, as he inches his way back to the lineup. While there is a good chance the Tampa Bay Lightning captain will return to the ice this season he might not be as effective right away. That’s what Zach Parise told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times a few weeks ago, speaking from experience. Parise had the same surgery on his knee in November of 2010, and though he returned later that year as well, didn’t feel right until the following Christmas.

I’d say it took probably a year and a half to get back to feeling back to normal. That’s what my therapist said, six months to heal, a year you feel better. But to get back to that level for me, I feel like it was almost the following Christmas.

So Stamkos, who may get a chance to help his team in a playoff race—the Lightning are just four points out with 17 games left to play—likely won’t be the elite offensive presence he’s proven to be over the past eight years. Fear not Lightning fans, though Parise says he didn’t feel right until Christmas, he still scored 30 goals and 69 points the year following surgery. It wasn’t all bad.

Snapshots: Bruins, Blue Jackets, Golden Knights, Devils

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Boston Bruins recalled forward Austin Czarnik from the Providence Bruins, reports Ty Anderson of WEEI. The recall comes on the heels of the Bruins announcing that Ryan Spooner is out indefinitely with a concussion. Czarnik is treading water in his first NHL season, scoring 5G and 8A in 47 NHL games. He also has 2G and 6A in 7 AHL games. The Bruins signed Czarnik out of Miami University (OH) in May 2015 and he’s been with Providence up until the start of this season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets make two notable additions to its game roster tonight against against the New Jersey Devils, reports the Columbus Dispatch’s Tom Reed. Coach John Tortorella inserts Finnish rookie defender Markus Nutivaara back into the lineup after Nutivaara sat out of Columbus’s last three games. Nutivaara was the odd man out after the Blue Jackets acquired defenseman Kyle Quincey at the NHL trade deadline. The Blue Jackets also replace injured forward Josh Anderson with rookie T.J. Tynan. This will be Tynan’s NHL debut. Right now he has 7G and 23A in 55 games for the AHL Cleveland Monsters.
  • The Blue Jackets also announced that defenseman Ryan Murray is scratched from tonight’s game due to a lower-body injury. The former 2nd overall draft pick has 2G and 9A in 59 games while averaging 18:37 minutes a game. Murray had somewhat of a breakout campaign last year before regressing production-wise. Murray and Nail Yakupov highlight the NHL Entry Draft’s unpredictability as both were drafted with the first two picks, and yet neither has met expectations.
  • Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee spoke to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnson today about potential expansion draft selections. While McPhee was coy about specific strategy, he indicated that he’s received calls from many teams —helpful because those calls shape how the Expansion Draft team predicts who may be available at the draft. McPhee also stated that he will not make agreements to avoid drafting an exposed player until closer to the expansion draft itself to maximize the return.
  • The New Jersey Devils have reassigned defenseman Karl Stollery and forward Kevin Rooney back down to the AHL Albany Devils. Stolley has played 11 games for New Jersey so far this season, recording three assists in that timeframe. He’ll rejoin Albany where he has 1G and 13A in 44 games. Rooney failed to record a point in three games for New Jersey, but has 10G and 7A in 57 games for Albany.

Snapshots: Sopel, Sproul, Greene

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In what has become a regular occurrence since they launched, The Players’ Tribune has released another unbelievably open and revealing article about a former NHL star. Brent Sopel pens a memoir of his time in the league and the struggles he faced growing up and well into his adult life. The article touches on his very late diagnosis of dyslexia, and ends with a call to action to help Sopel and his organizations get children the help they need growing up.

Like Corey Hirsch’s incredible story about the depression he battled throughout his NHL career, and the revealing stories of Devin Setoguchi, Jordin Tootoo and the link between hockey and alcohol, Sopel allows the reader inside the life of a professional hockey player for a moment or two and shows it’s not just what is seen on the ice every night.

  • According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, it’s the end of the line for Ryan Sproul this season, who has an ACL injury and will decide in two weeks whether it needs surgery. His season is over either way, meaning that recently recalled Robbie Russo will get an extended look for the Red Wings on defense. Russo will make his NHL debut tonight against the Maple Leafs.
  • Though he missed practice yesterday, the Red Wings will have Gustav Nyquist in the lineup tonight. The forward returned from his six-game suspension on Saturday night, but played less than 14 minutes for the team. With just 29 points in 57 games this season, it looks like the 27-year old Nyquist will take a step back this season after posting three consecutive years with at least 17 goals and 43 points.
  • Thoughts go out to New Jersey Devils captain Andy Greene and his family, as the defenseman is at home following the passing of his father. Andrew Gross of The Record reports that he’s expected to be back with the team on Thursday, though obviously it’s still undecided.

New Jersey Devils Trade Brandon Gormley To Ottawa Senators

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If you thought trades were a think of the past, think again. The New Jersey Devils have sent Brandon Gormley to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for future considerations. Remember, the trade deadline is only truly for playoff eligibility, meaning that teams can still swap minor league players like Gormley. As such, the Senators have announced that he will report to Binghamton of the AHL.

Gormley was drafted 13th overall back in 2010 by the (then) Phoenix Coyotes but never developed into the kind of shutdown defender the team had hoped for. After a few unsuccessful seasons, Gormley would be traded to the Colorado Avalanche before eventually being released by the club. He signed a contract with the Devils last summer, but has struggled at times with the Albany Devils as well.

Future considerations in this case will likely not amount to much, as Gormley is basically an addition for the baby-Sens (who aren’t even in a playoff race). He is only an restricted free agent this summer at the age of 25, so perhaps they just wanted an extended look at him in person to see if he’s worth re-upping on a two-way deal this summer. Afterall, the pedigree is certainly there—he was drafted just before Jaden Schwartz, and three picks ahead of Vladimir Tarasenko.

Expansion Draft Issues: Post-Trade Deadline

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Last month, we looked at several teams facing some tough situations in regards to the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft and offered potential solutions to how they could address their needs for forwards, defensemen and goalies at the NHL Trade Deadline. With March 1st over and done with, many of those squads have solved their problems with signings or acquisitions.

Calgary Flames

Problem: Defense

Status: Solved

The Flames solved their problem of otherwise having to expose Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, or Dougie Hamilton with the ingenious signing of Matt Bartkowski, the only defenseman on the planet who was both free to acquire and automatically eligible for exposure in the draft. It’s a good thing they signed him too, since they ended up trading away their best fall-back option, young defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka.

Carolina Hurricanes

Problem: Defense

Status: Unsolved

It was a pretty quiet deadline in Raleigh, as the ’Canes shipped out Ron Hainsey and Viktor Stalberg and then called it a day. What they didn’t do was acquire another body on the blue line to help solve their lack of a defenseman to expose. Carolina is still facing the problem of All-Star Justin Faulk being the only defenseman on the roster currently meeting the criteria for mandated exposure, due to the majority of their defensemen being too young to be eligible altogether. There is no way that Faulk is there for the taking by Vegas, but GM Ron Francis is left with only two choices: extend impending RFA Klas Dahlbeck or extend impending UFA Matt Tennyson and make sure he plays in seven more games this season, as he’s currently short of the 40-game mark.

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Snapshots: McQuaid, Goldobin, Koules

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Adam McQuaid is one lucky man. When Boston Bruins’ forward David Backes was upended last night against the New Jersey Devils, his skate nicked the throat of McQuaid. As the big defender dropped his gloves and skated off immediately, there were images of Clint Malarchuk and Richard Zednik flashing through the minds of many onlookers. It didn’t seem as bad as those two though and as it turns out, it wasn’t.

McQuaid received 25 stitches to close the laceration on his throat, and expects to be in the lineup tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators. Head coach Bruce Cassidy called him a “tough customer,” and he’s proving just that. McQuaid has been given extra ice time and responsibility of late, including breaking the 20-minute mark twice in his last five games.

  • Nikolay Goldobin is already making an impact in Vancouver, after scoring his second NHL goal in his Canucks debut on Saturday night. It came on a breakaway, something the Canucks hope Goldobin will see often in his time with the team. The talented forward came over in the Jannik Hansen deal, and as Ben Kuzma of The Province reports, will help lead a youth movement in the next few years. With Brock Boeser, Olli Juolevi, Adam Gaudette and Jonathan Dahlen all set to make an impact sooner than later, the Canucks may have kick-started a rebuild of their own when they chose to sell off two expiring veteran contracts at the deadline. Goldobin is just the first of many in Vancouver, and he puts it best when talking about the style he’ll bring: “there are no words, just let me show you and that will be easier.”
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have brought in Miles Koules, signing him to a tryout with their AHL squad today according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch . The 22-year old forward is the son of former Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules, who you may recognize from the credits of the Saw movie franchise or Two and a Half Men. Koules had played in the ECHL this season, scoring 20 points in 36 games. He also played two contests for the Ontario Reign, in which he was held scoreless.

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