Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NHL

Vancouver Canucks Send Jake Virtanen To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

2:57pm: GM Jim Benning told reporters, including Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province, that Virtanen will play on Friday and Saturday with Utica, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, and will then be recalled back to the NHL.

1:49pm: In a somewhat-shocking decision, the Vancouver Canucks have sent Jake Virtanen to the AHL. The 20-year old forward has just one assist in ten games with the Canucks this season.

While Virtanen has been mostly ineffective this season (as has most of the Canucks roster), it’s surprising that the team would send their young prospect down just ten games into the season, after seeing him play 55 games with the club a season ago.  The team has given him barely any ice time this season, leading Virtanen to question Willie Desjardins’ decision to keep him on the fourth line.

Drafted sixth overall in 2014, Virtanen hasn’t become the top player that Vancouver had hoped. While other top picks from that draft are finding success across the league – namely William Nylander and Nikolaj Ehlers, drafted 8th and 9th respectively – Virtanen has yet to find his stride in the NHL.

It’s way too early to make a claim of “bust” for Virtanen, who only turned 20 on August 17th of this year, but for a team like Vancouver who are stuck somewhere between trying to compete and trying to rebuild, it would be a huge boost if he could find his offensive game.  Now, he’ll have to look in the minors, a place that is totally unfamiliar to him. Virtanen has only played two games in the AHL in his career.

Cole Schneider Recalled By Buffalo Sabres

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to John Vogl of the Buffalo News, the Sabres will recall forward Cole Schneider prior to tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators. No word on a corresponding move, though as reported earlier Ryan O’Reilly is questionable and Tyler Ennis is out.

Schneider is an established AHL scorer off to a blistering start this season with the Rochester Americans. Fifteen points in ten games leads the club and ties him for the league lead. A three time 20-goal scorer, he’s proven his offensive ability at the lower level and now much try to prove that he can contribute in the NHL.

The Sabres currently find themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and looking for a way to score more goals; they currently rank 29th in goals for with just 25 in 12 games.

Atlantic Notes: Leafs Skate, Soshnikov, Blunden

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In a scene from a mid-90’s sports movie, the power went out at Maple Leafs practice today as the team was put through a hard practice by head coach Mike Babcock. The Leafs lost 7-0 to the Los Angeles Kings last night and, as Morgan Rielly put it (via Pierre LeBrun)“I think we all understood if we didnt skate last night we were going to skate today.” The young Leafs were on a three game winning streak before getting dismantled by the experienced Kings.

  • Also from practice today, Nikita Soshnikov was absent according to David Alter of NHL.com. With a groin injury, the coaching staff didn’t want to put him through the high-tempo practice. Soshnikov only just returned from injury a few games ago, but has contributed two points already and saw time with Auston Matthews during the loss.
  • Despite saying that Craig Anderson would be the starter whenever he was with the team, Mike Condon will start for the Sens tonight, according to head coach Guy Boucher. Condon recorded a shutout in his first game for the Sens last week.
  • Mike Blunden will be recalled from Binghamton to play tonight for the Senators, though no word has been given on who he’ll be replacing. The 29-year old has four points in nine AHL games thus far.
  • According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Jonathan Drouin is working out on his own, and still has no timetable to return to the Lightning. Drouin was injured a week ago on a hit from Calvin de Haan. Coach Jon Cooper says he’s “gradually coming along” in his recovery.

Early Returns: The Best Deals Of The Offseason

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When teams go into free agent frenzy each season, their boards are filled with superstar names and dream scenarios. “If we could only get..” say the fans, filling out possible lineups and trying out the squads in their favorite hockey simulator.  Millions and millions of dollars are spent bringing in players who are expected to lead the team.

It’s the ones who don’t earn millions that we’ll take a look at here though; the players who barely got an NHL contract but are still providing solid results early on.  Here are some of the best deals of the offseason, a dozen games in.

Jon Marchessault (FLA): 13GP-7G-6A-13P, $750,000

With 13 points in 13 games, Marchessault is the biggest story out of Florida these days. Skating alongside Jaromir Jagr and Alexander Barkov will help anyone, but he’s been effective nonetheless. The diminutive forward scored just 18 points for the Lightning in 2015-16 but is sure to blow by that this season. More upside for Florida, as they have the 25-year old for another year.

Matt Cullen (PIT): 12GP-3G-6A-9P, $1,000,000

Cullen hasn’t seemed to slow down any after another long season with the cup champions. Suiting up for 106 games between the regular season and playoffs, he keeps showing that even at 40 he can be a positive contributor in the NHL. Off to a great start, Cullen has a shot of surpassing the 32 points he put up last season, which seemed impossible coming into the year. Even if he doesn’t get 16 goals once again, he’s obviously a big part of the Penguins this season.

Michael Grabner (NYR): 13GP-7G-3A-10P, $1,650,000

How does a 29-year old, former 34 goal scorer only get a deal which pays $1.65MM per season? Score only 31 points in two seasons and establish yourself as a penalty kill-only type player. While Grabner isn’t expected to be that 34-goal man anymore, he’s off to a blistering start in New York and will almost surely post his first double-digit goal year since 2013-14. The Rangers have him for another year at the low price.

Dennis Seidenberg (NYI): 13GP-4G-4A-8P, $1,000,000

After being bought out from the remainder of his deal, Seidenberg had to look for a deal in a good situation to try and rebuild his value. At 35, he’s showing that he’s not done yet. The German defender has been logging almost 20 minutes a night for the Islanders and has been an effective even-strength player, something that couldn’t always be said about him. Four goals is already the most he’s scored since 2012-13, and he’s on track to contribute at least 20 points for the first time since 2011-12.

 

Nashville Returns Harry Zolnierczyk To Milwaukee

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have assigned Harry Zolnierczyk to the AHL today, after playing just one game for the big club this season. The forward was originally called up when the team came down with food poisoning, but was a scratch for most of the season.

The 29-year old has been in limbo between the AHL and NHL for the last few years, able to jump onto a fourth line at any time but hardly getting any chances. Once a pretty strong scoring threat in the AHL, Zolnierczyk has only played 29 games since the end of the 2014-15 season.

The demotion might mean that captain Mike Fisher is close to a return; he’s been out with an upper-body injury since last Tuesday. Listed as day-to-day, getting Fisher back into the lineup would be an important move for a struggling Predators team.

LeBrun’s Latest: Budaj, Trouba, Hanzal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When the Los Angeles Kings lost not just Jonathan Quick but Jeff Zatkoff as well in the span of a few days, panic immediately set in for a franchise known for its excellent goaltending over the years. Even with Peter Budaj, an experienced NHL netminder coming in to start, the team was looking everywhere to find some help in net.  That might have come to an end, says Pierre LeBrun in his latest column, as Budaj has performed extremely well and Zatkoff is back from injury. The team has stopped looking for help and is at least somewhat comfortable with the Budaj/Zatkoff tandem for now.

Budaj, the AHL goalie of the year in 2015-16, has posted a .912 save percentage and 2.06 GAA in ten games, including a shutout of the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The former Colorado and Montreal netminder has a ton of NHL experience over the years, and at 34 is still playing well enough to help the Kings. Zatkoff will likely figure in a bit more as the season stretches on, though he does have much less experience.

  • Even though Jacob Trouba has signed on for two years and said that he’s ’committed’ to the Winnipeg Jets, doesn’t sway LeBrun from thinking he’ll eventually be dealt. Though head coach Paul Maurice has said he’ll use Trouba in a variety of situations in order to keep him involved, the conviction that led to his holdout can’t possibly have all dissipated at this point. Trouba still wants to be a top pairing blueliner on the right side, something that simply won’t happen in Winnipeg, at least not right now.
  • It’s an open competition in Colorado now, as the net will be shared between Semyon Varlamov and Calvin Pickard. Though Varlamov came into the season as the clear No. 1, the younger Pickard has played extremely well and forced himself into the conversation. A .946 save percentage even if it is just a few games. With the Avalanche going after a playoff spot this year, they can’t afford to wait for Varlamov’s game to come around.
  • When you turn your calendar over to February in a few months, make sure you make a note to watch for Martin Hanzal rumors. LeBrun feels as though the Coyotes center – who’s injured at the moment – is an easy pick for a deadline deal. An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, he’s always had the talent to change a game. Health has always been a factor for Hanzal though, who just can’t seem to stick in a lineup for a full year. LeBrun believes that the Coyotes would need a young player, and not just picks, in return.

David Warsofsky Sent Back To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned defenseman David Warsofsky to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. The 26-year old had played just four games with the NHL club this season, recording zero points.

Originally a fourth-round pick by the St. Louis Blues, Warsofsky is carving out a journeyman-like existence in the NHL, and has now been a part of four different organizations. Last season, he was claimed off waivers from the Penguins by the New Jersey Devils, before eventually re-signing with Pittsburgh in the offseason.

With the Penguins on a three game home stand that begins tomorrow against the Edmonton Oilers, they can easily recall a defenseman should an injury occur. Warsofsky meanwhile can head to the AHL and stay sharp until his next recall.

Minnesota Assigns Bertschy, Schroeder To Iowa

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With a few days off until their next matchup, the Minnesota Wild have assigned Christoph Bertschy and Jordan Schroeder to the Iowa Wild (AHL) on Monday. The Wild will not play until Thursday, when they embark on a three game road trip that will take them through the Eastern Conference. In their announcement they note that both could return for the Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bertschy has one point in three games with the NHL club this season after making his debut last year. The former sixth-round pick is a Swiss-born winger who scored 35 points in the AHL last season.

Schroeder brings a much higher pedigree, as he was selected 22nd overall in 2009, though he has found little NHL success in his career. In 109 games, the 26-year old has 27 points but has shown an ability to score at the lower levels. The 5’9″ centerman was signed after the Vancouver Canucks decided not to extend a qualifying offer in 2014.

San Jose Sharks Recall Kevin Labanc

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks have decided he’s waited long enough, and have recalled 20-year old Kevin Labanc from the AHL. No word on the corresponding move, or whether Labanc will feature in the lineup right away.

After being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, Labanc has done nothing but score. 234 points in the following two years of junior made him a can’t-miss prospect in the Sharks system, and after making his AHL debut in last year’s playoffs, he was off to a scorching start in his rookie year. The forward has 10 points in 6 games, and will now see if his up-tempo game and playmaking ability can work at the next level.

For the Sharks, a team that is trying to get younger while saying goodbye to its older core, Labanc represents the next wave of talent. The 5’11” actually plays more of a physical game than one would expect, and can dominate on the powerplay with his crisp passing ability. Whether the Sharks, who currently rank 12th in the NHL will use him on the man advantage is unclear.

With Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau likely exiting San Jose after this season, the team needed to start looking forward to who will fill their top-six next year.  If Labanc can find any success as a rookie this season, perhaps he’ll be ready to skate alongside Tomas Hertl next year, on one of the top two lines.

Arizona Coyotes Recall DeAngelo, Gaudet From AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to Sarah McLellan of AZCentral, the Coyotes have recalled Anthony DeAngelo and Tyler Gaudet from the AHL. In a set of corresponding moves, the team has moved Michael Stone and Martin Hanzal to injured reserve to make room.

Stone can’t seem to get healthy this season, as the latest injury comes just four games after he returned from knee surgery this summer. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Stone will have to try and get back and prove that he can be an effective puck mover once again.  For Hanzal, it’s not the first time he’s seen the press box with an injury. The 29-year old forward hasn’t played in more than 65 games in a single season since 2009-10.

For DeAngelo, getting into a game would represent his NHL debut as the 21-year old was only drafted in 2014. He went 19th overall that year, and proved last season that he could compete at a professional level. With 43 points as an AHL rookie, he ranked seventh among all blueliners. As a right-handed shot, he may get his chance sooner than later; the Coyotes are currently dressing four lefties.

While DeAngelo figures to be a big part of the Arizona future, Gaudet is just hoping to make an impact at the NHL level. The undrafted forward has bounced back and forth for the past couple of seasons, mostly playing bottom-six minutes in both leagues. With three points in sixteen career NHL games, he’s expected to just provide some energy to the fourth line, if he gets into the lineup at all.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top