Detroit Red Wings Recall Austin Czarnik, Send Down Zach Aston-Reese
Per a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Austin Czarnik, while sending down forward Zach Aston-Reese to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Aston-Reese was recently recalled by the team in preparation for last night’s win against the Tampa Bay Lightning but ultimately did not dress.
Based on the severity of forward Robby Fabbri‘s undisclosed injury, this may not be the last time that Detroit cycles through depth forwards over the coming days. Even if Czarnik does not stay with Detroit for long, the Red Wings also have forward depth such as Jonatan Berggren, Elmer Soderblom, and Taro Hirose who could see more NHL minutes in the future.
Playing on the last season of a two-year, $1.525MM contract signed with Detroit before the 2022-23 season, Czarnik has spent much of his time as a part of the Griffins during his stay with the Red Wings organization. In 43 games played last year in Grand Rapids, Czarnik would chip in 14 goals and 23 assists, as well as getting off to a hot start this season scoring two goals and one assists in the team’s first two games.
Aston-Reese, on the other hand, is much newer to the Red Wings organization, signing a one-year, $775K contract only a week ago. He did go scoreless in his first career game with the Griffins but could be a solid bottom-six player for Detroit throughout much of the season. Playing in a similar role last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Aston-Reese would chip in 10 goals and four assists in 77 games played.
Snapshots: Matthews, Butcher, Mast
In a rather lengthy interview with Mike Zeisberger of the NHL, franchise icon for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, expresses his unwavering desire to stay in Toronto and is more than excited an extension was completed between the two sides. More than a year before he was originally set to become an unrestricted free agent, rumors were rampant suggesting Matthews may leave the Maple Leafs to sign with his hometown Arizona Coyotes or find an organization with less media pressure.
During the interview, when he was asked specifically about the rumors circulating about the next contract he would sign, Matthews said, “It was my mindset to come back all along. I felt I’ve been pretty clear about that. I really enjoy playing here, and I love the core guys I’ve been playing with going back to my early days here. And the way the staff treats us is amazing. I’ve kind of repeated these things, they’re all true, and it means a lot to me to be here. So, when I see stuff like some of the speculation this summer, I get a pretty good chuckle out of it because it’s just nonsense, to be honest with you“.
As many are well aware at this point, Matthews would sign a four-year, $53MM contract with the Maple Leafs, making him the highest-paid player in the NHL as soon as it starts. Although there was very little doubt that Toronto would regret re-investing in Matthews, he rewarded them early this season, scoring back-to-back hat tricks in the team’s first two games.
Other snapshots:
- A little over a week before the start of training camp this autumn, new depth defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Will Butcher, sustained an injury that would keep him out of all on-ice activities for over a month. Today, Matt Vensel of Post-Gazette Sports is reporting that Butcher is back to practice in a non-contact jersey, and will likely be sent to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins very soon. Spending all of last season for the Texas Stars in the AHL, Butcher would score six goals and 37 assists in 65 games.
- In smaller news, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal is reporting that the Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, have sent defenseman Ryan Mast to their ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners. Mast is a recent sixth-round pick of the Bruins back in the 2021 NHL Draft, and recently wrapped up a career with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, scoring eight goals and 22 assists in 50 games during his last season.
Injury Notes: Buchnevich, Boldy, Nosek
St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich left yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Kraken with an upper-body injury and did not return, and head coach Craig Berube did not rule out a longer-term absence last night. Speaking with The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Berube ruled out a concussion but said the injury was “unfortunate” and didn’t have any indication of a timeline for return. Buchnevich left the game early in the first period after taking a cross-check into the boards from Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.
Buchnevich is without a point in two games so far this season but has been invaluable to the Blues since joining the team in the summer of 2021, logging over a point per game as a member of the team. Recording 67 points in 63 games last season, he was on pace to lead the team in scoring if not for injury and logged over 19 minutes per game. The Blues practice today, and the team could issue an update on his status later on.
Other recent injuries sustained around the league:
- Another core player for a Central Division team left a game last night – Wild winger Matt Boldy, who was one of the few bright spots in a poor defensive showing in a 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Athletic’s Michael Russo says it’s likely an upper-body ailment, but head coach Dean Evason did not have an update on Boldy’s status post-game. The Wild have only 12 forwards on the active roster, and if Boldy cannot play Tuesday against Montreal, the Wild would either need to dress seven defensemen or send Dakota Mermis to AHL Iowa and recall a forward in his place. The Wild do not have cap space to recall a healthy extra if Boldy is out of the lineup with defenseman Jared Spurgeon already unavailable.
- New Jersey Devils forward Tomáš Nosek missed practice today with a lower-body injury and is considered doubtful for Monday’s game against Florida, Devils lead reporter Amanda Stein relays. Nosek has dressed in the Devils’ first two games of the season as a winger after playing center for the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights for much of the last four seasons, averaging 12:10 per game. The team’s summer free-agent pickup has yet to record a point but has controlled play well at even strength, posting a Corsi share of 65.5% despite heavy defensive zone usage. Either Curtis Lazar or Chris Tierney will draw into the lineup if Nosek can’t go.
Morning Notes: Garland, Norris, Arvidsson
The Vancouver Canucks are receiving interest from multiple teams after granting forward Conor Garland permission to seek a trade earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night on Saturday Headlines. Friedman singled out the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets as parties that have displayed interest but said there are likely other teams that have called the Canucks.
Garland logged a highlight-reel goal in the Canucks’ season-opener last week, but he’s been otherwise held off the scoresheet through two games and has been used quite sparingly by head coach Rick Tocchet. He’s played less than ten minutes in each of the team’s first two contests against the Oilers, and it’s becoming clear there’s no path to any significant role for Garland in Vancouver. The 27-year-old carries a $4.95MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season and has a history of strong middle-six production, something he’s likely to rediscover in a new environment, given his historically strong underlying numbers.
Friedman also added some clarity on what a Garland trade may eventually look like, noting that GM Patrik Allvin is looking to clear between $1MM and $2MM of cap space in this deal. That could come either via a total contract swap or retaining salary on Garland in a deal for draft picks or buriable players.
Elsewhere around the NHL this morning:
- Also coming from Friedman last night, the Ottawa Senators expect center Josh Norris to return to practice today in a non-contact jersey ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. A return for their former 35-goal man is not imminent, but Friedman reports the Senators hope Norris will be able to return to contact practice later this week and offer a more definitive timeline for his return. The team has held off placing him on LTIR up until this point, signaling optimism that he’ll be able to return by the end of the month. Norris’ shoulder injury and subsequent setbacks have limited him to just eight games since the start of last season. Norris is beginning the second season of an eight-year, $63.6MM deal carrying a $7.95MM cap hit.
- Things are not looking up for Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson, who remains on LTIR after missing the first two games of the season with a back injury. It seems this could turn into an even more significant absence, as GM Rob Blake told NHL.com yesterday that Arvidsson “may have to have surgery,” which would put him out on a month-to-month basis and extend his stay on LTIR well past the minimum ten games and 24 days. If he doesn’t have surgery, he will be eligible to return for the team’s November 4 game against Philadelphia. Blake said Arvidsson sustained the injury during practice on the first day of the regular season, and subsequent diagnosis revealed surgery may be an option.
Summer Synopsis: Winnipeg Jets
After qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, the Winnipeg Jets entered more of a transitionary period this offseason than many expected. The team ended its contractual obligations to then-captain Blake Wheeler, as well as dealing Pierre-Luc Dubois to an up-and-coming Western Conference rival.
Nevertheless, after even more speculation of a full-on teardown, the Jets managed to extend both Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, committing to a significant part of their core. In a tough Central Division, Winnipeg will again have another uphill battle to make it to the postseason.
Draft
1-18: F Colby Barlow, Owen (OHL)
3-82: F Zach Nehring, Shattuck (18U Prep)
5-146: F Jacob Julien, London (OHL)
5-151: G Thomas Milic, Seattle (WHL)
7-210: F Connor Levis, Kamloops (WHL)
Without much available in draft capital, the Jets were able to select Barlow in the back half of the first round, one of the better goal scorers out of the Ontario Hockey League last season. In 59 games played, Barlow would score 46 goals and 33 assists, finishing top-five in the league in goal-scoring. If his goal-scoring ability doesn’t dissipate, and he can bring it to professional hockey, Barlow should fit nicely into the future of Winnipeg’s top-six forward unit.
Aside from Barlow, the Jets primarily selected fringe players, as well as Milic in the fifth round. He was a standout player in the WHL last season, posting a 27-3-1 record for Seattle, garnering a .928 SV% as well as a 2.08 GAA. Aside from his time spent in the state of Washington, Milic helped lead Team Canada to a gold medal finish in the World Junior Championships, managing zero losses, with a .932 SV% and a 1.76 GAA.
Trade Acquisitions
F Alex Iafallo (trade with Los Angeles)
D Artemi Kniazev (trade with San Jose)
F Rasmus Kupari (trade with Los Angeles)
F Gabriel Vilardi (trade with Los Angeles)
Unable to acquire a first-round pick in the deal that sent Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings, the Jets were still able to acquire two players with upside potential. Kupari has yet to break out in any real way, but given the relevant proximity to his draft year, he should be able to become a long-term fixture in the Winnipeg lineup with more playing time.
Since the beginning of his career with the Kings, Iafallo has always proven to be a solid option in the middle-six of any organization, but the real prize for Winnipeg lies in Vilardi. Although dealing with injuries, after seeing an approximate two-minute average increase in playing time last season, Vilardi was able to score 23 goals and 18 assists in 63 games for Los Angeles. Now with the ability to play on the first line of a competitive team, Vilardi could see his production increase considerably.
UFA Signings
G Laurent Brossoit (one year, $1.75MM)
G Collin Delia (one year, $775K)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (two year, $1.55MM)*
F Vladislav Namestnikov (two year, $4MM)
F Jeffrey Viel (one year, $775K)
*denotes two-way contract
After a back-and-forth season last year, Winnipeg was able to bring Brossoit back into the fold this offseason. Posting incredible regular season stats in a very limited set of games, Brossoit would entertain a 7-0-3 record, garnishing a .927 SV% and a 2.17 GAA. Finally returning to the Golden Knights for their playoff run, after posting very mild numbers, and succumbing to yet another injury, Brossoit would fully relinquish the net to Adin Hill, who would lead Vegas to its first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
Aside from Brossoit, the Jets mostly nibbled around the edges of the free agency pool, most notably bringing back trade deadline acquisition Namestnikov to a two-year contract. In 20 games after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks, Namestnikov would score two goals and eight assists in 20 games, chipping in two assists in five playoff games.
RFA Re-Signings
F Morgan Barron (two year, $2.7MM)
D Declan Chisholm (one year, $775K)*
F Rasmus Kupari (two year, $2MM)
D Dylan Samberg (two year, $2.8MM)
D Logan Stanley (one year, $1MM)
F Gabriel Vilardi (two year, $6.875MM)
The Jets were able to sign both Vilardi and Kupari relatively quickly once acquired from Los Angeles, and proceeded to re-sign other important factors, using up most of their available cap space. However, one of the most surprising RFA signings of the offseason came out of Winnipeg in the retention of Stanley on defense.
In March, Stanley publicly requested a trade away from the Jets but instead chose to re-sign with the team in mid-August (albeit with limited negotiation power). Coming off of a relatively down season in 2022-23, even for his standards, Stanley was granted the chance to rebuild his value in the hopes of moving on from Winnipeg.
Departures
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (traded to Los Angeles)
F Loen Gawanke (traded to San Jose)
F Karson Kuhlman (NY Islanders, one year, $775K)
F Alex Limoges (Washington, one year, $775K)
F Kevin Stenlund (Florida, one year, $1MM)
F Blake Wheeler (NY Rangers, one year, $1.1MM)
In the middle of two career-high seasons for Wheeler between 2018-20, Winnipeg would sign him to a five-year, $41.25MM contract extension. Unfortunately, as the captain of the franchise, Wheeler would only see four of those years, before finally being bought out by the Jets this offseason. Losing him as a leader in the locker room is going to be a tough pill to swallow, but factoring in his production over the last couple of seasons, the Jets should be able to replace Wheeler on the ice adequately.
Receiving a solid return package for Dubois in the trade that sent him to the Kings, the Jets are left a little bit thin at the center position. For now, they will rely on top prospect, Cole Perfetti, to slide into Dubois’ formal role on the Jets’ second line. Given his skill set, Winnipeg should have every reason to believe that Perfetti can fit that role, but given his injury history, may not be the best short-term option if the team wishes to compete.
Salary Cap Outlook
If the Jets are indeed looking to compete for a Western Conference playoff spot this season, they will have ample cap space at the deadline to acquire any additional assets they may require. With $2.3MM in cap space heading into the season, as well as gaining an additional $16+ this offseason without much in the way of retention.
The team will have to ink a new deal with Perfetti, but given how he performs this season, should be able to fit it in comfortably given their cap situation. If the team is in a relatively competitive spot this season, look for the Jets as a potential suitor for the services of Elias Lindholm if he is unable to sign a new extension with the Calgary Flames by the trade deadline.
Key Questions
What Is Left To Add? For most clubs, the Jets are still in an envious position given their contract structure. They have their franchise center, defenseman, and goaltender signed to long-term contracts, but still feel as if they are missing an important cog in their organization. For the most part, the team could benefit greatly from adding an additional offensive weapon to their lineup, as it appears to be the only weak link. Depending on the performance of Vilardi, Kupari, and Iafallo, the Jets could be a surprise buyer at next year’s trade deadline.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Injury Notes: Puljujarvi, Couture, Wahlstrom
A few days ago, an insider for TSN, Chris Johnston, spoke tepidly about the possible return of former fourth-overall selection of the 2016 NHL Draft, Jesse Puljujarvi. After an apathetic transition to the Carolina Hurricanes at least year’s trade deadline, Puljujarvi went through double hip surgery only a couple of months ago, and will likely be seeing his third NHL opportunity.
Given his career trajectory up to this point, if Puljujarvi is able to work his way back adequately from surgery, he will almost assuredly be playing on a two-way deal, destined for the majority of the season in the AHL. In the most successful year of his career back during the 2021-22 NHL season, Puljujarvi was only able to procure 14 goals and 22 assists, hardly satisfying numbers from a top-five overall pick, especially entering into the prime age of his career.
If not already maxed out his potential as a hockey player, Puljujarvi is incredibly close to the cutoff line. When the return comes, there may be an opportunity on a rebuilding team such as the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, or San Jose Sharks; however, even their interest may be mild.
Other injury notes:
- The captain of the San Jose Sharks, Logan Couture, has already missed the team’s opening night game against the Vegas Golden Knights and is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Couture has been out with a lower-body injury since September 21st, but tonight’s game may be the last he misses. According to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group, Couture is close to skating again and should join the team back on the ice soon.
- Even though he was cleared to play earlier in the summer, forward for the New York Islanders, Oliver Wahlstrom, is still regaining strength in his knee according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. Last season, after the knee injury would sideline him for the rest of the season at the end of December, Wahlstrom played in 35 games, scoring seven goals and nine assists.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Anaheim Ducks
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Anaheim Ducks
Current Cap Hit: $75,316,667 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Leo Carlsson (three years, $925K)
D Jackson LaCombe (one year, $925K)
D Tristan Luneau (three years, $897K)
F Mason McTavish (two years, $894K)
D Pavel Mintyukov (three years, $918K)
Potential Bonuses
Carlsson: $3.25MM
LaCombe: $925K
Luneau: $80K
McTavish: $2.5MM
Mintyukov: $550K
Total: $7.31MM
Carlsson was the second-overall pick back in June and while he opens the season as a cap-exempt player on SOIR, that won’t be the case for long. With Anaheim’s depth down the middle, they have the luxury of easing him in at center if they want or to start him on the wing. It’s far too early to forecast a second contract but he’s a big part of their future plans. McTavish is also a key cog for them for the long haul. The third-overall pick in 2021 had a strong first full season and is expected to play a bigger role this year. If he stays on that upward trajectory, he could command a long-term deal around the $8MM range that other young middlemen have landed. That is, if GM Pat Verbeek is willing to break from his tendency of sticking with bridge deals. In that case, something around $6MM could be the target.
LaCombe made his NHL debut late last season, burning the first year of his deal in the process. He was quite productive with the University of Minnesota in his college career, particularly the last two years. However, with him really only having one year to base his second contract on, it’s almost certain to be a short-term agreement. If he holds a regular role this year, it could check in around the $1.5MM mark. Luneau and Mintyukov both broke camp with the team but might not be up for too long. Two of the top blueliners in major junior last season, both have considerable offensive upside which will serve them well on their second contracts.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
F Sam Carrick ($850K, UFA)
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx ($775K, RFA)
F Adam Henrique ($5.825MM, UFA)
F Brett Leason ($775K, RFA)
F Isac Lundestrom ($1.8MM, RFA)
D Ilya Lyubushkin ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Max Jones ($1.295MM, RFA)
F Jakob Silfverberg ($5.25MM, UFA)
D Urho Vaakanainen ($850K, RFA)
Get used to hearing Henrique’s name in trade speculation throughout the season. When healthy, he has shown he can still play on a second line although his role on a contender might be a bit lower. Henrique’s injury trouble will limit his value on the open market, however. He’s still capable of putting up 20 goals – he did so just last season – but as he starts to look more like a third-liner moving forward, his value will drop accordingly. Something in the $3.5MM range might be the right spot. Silfverberg is another trade deadline rental candidate assuming the Ducks retain a sizable portion. He has struggled the last few years and is more of a role player at this point in his career. In free agency, those players typically get about a third of what he’s making now.
Lundestrom’s platform year isn’t off to a good start as he suffered a torn Achilles tendon back in August, keeping him out for the first half of the season at a minimum. Between that, the fact he’s coming off just a four-goal showing, and the fact that he filed for arbitration on his last deal, it’s possible that he becomes a non-tender candidate. Otherwise, a one-year agreement at or very close to this price tag is where his next deal should be. Jones has also battled injuries on his current deal but is coming off a career-best showing last year. If he can build on that, he could land a bit more than his $1.5MM qualifying offer next summer.
Carrick had 11 goals back in 2021-22 which helped him earn this deal after being primarily an AHL regular before that point. He’s a pure fourth liner which will cap his earnings upside unless he’s able to put up another double-digit showing offensively this season. Groulx is the beneficiary from Lundestrom’s injury as he was able to break camp with the team. He has primarily been in the AHL so far which doesn’t give him much leverage in negotiations but if he can lock down a full-time role, he could come in close to the $1MM mark. Leason was claimed off waivers last season and played a somewhat regular role. Similar to Groulx, if he can become an every-game player, he could land a small raise next summer as well.
Lyubushkin comes over following a late-summer trade as Verbeek continues to add grit to his roster. He’s a third-pairing blueliner with some limitations but if last summer was any indication, it’s quite possible that he lands a similar-sized multi-year agreement in 2024 given the desire for right-shot blueliners around the league. Vaakanainen just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Anaheim picked him up as part of the Hampus Lindholm trade, hoping he could be a part of their future plans on the back end. That still could happen but with how much time he has missed, a one-year deal next summer is likely, one that should check in near the $1MM mark.
Signed Through 2024-25
G Lukas Dostal ($812.5K, RFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Frank Vatrano ($3.65MM, UFA)
Vatrano’s first season with Anaheim was a successful one as he set a new career high in points with 41 while topping the 20-goal mark for just the second time. At the time the deal was signed in 2022, this looked like a bit of an overpayment but if he can sustain those numbers, they’ll get a good return on the contract while the veteran will have a strong case for another multi-year pact in the $4MM range. McGinn was a salary dump from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline but while he’s overpaid for his role, he’s still a serviceable checker. His market value is around $1MM less than what he’s making now.
Dostal is in his first full NHL season after being up and down between Anaheim and AHL San Diego the last couple of years. If he can hold his own as a backup, he should easily double this price tag. If he can push to play more than just a typical backup, something closer to $3MM becomes potentially plausible.
Signed Through 2025-26
D Jamie Drysdale ($2.3MM, RFA)
D Cam Fowler ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Radko Gudas ($4MM, UFA)
F Ross Johnston ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Trevor Zegras ($5.75MM, RFA)
It took a while for Zegras and Anaheim to come to terms on the bridge deal that many expected but an agreement was reached just before the season. The contract gives both sides more time to assess if he can become a true number one middleman. If so, it’s possible that his next contract is closer to the $9MM mark while even if he stays around the 60-point mark that he has reached the last two years, he’d still be well-positioned for a decent raise with arbitration rights in 2026. Johnston was just claimed off waivers this week, giving the Ducks a true enforcer, further enhancing their grit. He had a very limited role with the Islanders and will need to lock down a regular spot by the time this deal is up if he wants another seven-figure AAV.
Fowler isn’t a true number one blueliner from the standpoint of being a high-end offensive producer who also plays on the top penalty kill. But he’s not far from that either. He is typically Anaheim’s best offensive weapon each season while logging big minutes in all situations. For the contract that he’s on relative to the role he fills on their back end, this deal has aged well for the Ducks so far. Fowler will be turning 35 soon after his next contract begins, however, which will hurt him a bit. Performance-wise, there’s a case to be made that he’s worthy of a fair-sized raise. However, his age will negate that. Accordingly, a multi-year deal around this price point might be where his next deal lands assuming his recent level of performance holds up.
Gudas was another addition made with an eye on upgrading team toughness. He has shown that he’s best suited to play on a third pairing but that he can log bigger minutes if needed. This is an overpayment for that type of role but with so many of their blueliners being youngsters that could legitimately be a couple of years away, the term shouldn’t hurt them much. Drysdale’s deal also just came together recently; his contract was more complex after he missed almost all of last season with a shoulder injury. He’s going to be part of the long-term core but with just 113 games under his belt, it’s still hard to assess how much of an impact he’ll be able to make.
Minor Transactions: 10/14/23
With most leagues now underway for their 2023-24 seasons, there is still a lot of activity on the minor transactions front as players look to secure spots before it’s too late. Here’s a rundown of transaction activity that has an NHL connection.
- The Kings’ AHL affiliate in Ontario announced that they’ve released veteran goalie Jean-Francois Berube from his tryout agreement; he had previously been in camp with Los Angeles. The 32-year-old has bounced around the minors over the past few seasons, spending time with five different organizations over the last four years. Berube last saw NHL action back in 2021-22 with Columbus but will have his work cut out for him to get back to the top level as first, he’ll need to catch on with another AHL squad.
- After getting cut from Carolina’s training camp, veteran forward Nick Shore is returning to HV71 in Sweden according to a report from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson and Jacob Johannesson. The 31-year-old last saw regular action back in 2019-20 with Toronto and Winnipeg and has 299 games at the top level under his belt.
- Scott Harrington’s tryout with Anaheim’s farm team was short-lived as AHL San Diego announced that he has been released. The 30-year-old finished last season with the Ducks after being claimed on waivers at the end of February and held his own, picking up four points in 17 games while averaging over 18 minutes a night. Now, he’ll have to head to a new organization and will likely have to settle for an AHL contract at this point to catch on somewhere.
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Red Wings Recall Zach Aston-Reese
With Robby Fabbri set to miss tonight’s game against Tampa Bay, the Red Wings needed to bring up a forward. They’ve decided that forward will be Zach Aston-Reese as the team announced that the winger has been recalled from AHL Grand Rapids.
The 29-year-old was able to turn a PTO into a guaranteed deal last season with Toronto, a move that worked out relatively well for him. Aston-Reese set career highs in games played (77) and goals (10) in 2022-23 while recording 163 hits in what was predominantly a fourth line role. He also suited up in six playoff contests, picking up a goal along with 16 more hits despite averaging less than nine minutes a night.
However, Aston-Reese once again had to go the PTO route for this season, getting one with Carolina a month ago today. It wasn’t successful and he was cut earlier this month although he was able to rebound quickly, inking a two-way deal with Detroit last Sunday. That move coincided with a waiver placement where he passed through unclaimed, resulting in him suiting up for the Griffins in their opener last night.
While Aston-Reese’s recall gives Detroit a dozen healthy forwards on the roster, don’t expect that to automatically mean that Aston-Reese will play tonight. Instead, it appears as if they’ll go with seven defensemen, allowing Olli Maatta to make his season debut. Fabbri, meanwhile, is listed as day-to-day and hasn’t been ruled out for Monday’s contest against Columbus.
Markus Niemeläinen Clears Waivers
Saturday: Niemeläinen has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. He has been assigned to Bakersfield.
Friday: The Edmonton Oilers announced they’ve placed defenseman Markus Niemeläinen on waivers. With Niemeläinen now cleared to play and eligible for waivers and a subsequent AHL assignment to the Bakersfield Condors, the team will add a forward before tomorrow’s home opener against the Vancouver Canucks, says The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman.
It seems unlikely Niemeläinen will be claimed by another team over the next 24 hours, given he has just one assist in 43 NHL games to date. The 25-year-old Finn is strictly a shutdown defender, and he hasn’t managed to post positive possession numbers despite playing extremely sheltered minutes. His 6-foot-6 frame may be appealing to some teams, though.
He’d been dealing with a short-term undisclosed injury which prevented the Oilers from waiving him before the season started and, in part, forced them to play with 17 skaters due to salary cap constraints in Wednesday’s 8-1 road drubbing at the hands of the Canucks.
Niemeläinen is in the final season of a two-year, $1.525MM contract. While it carries a cap hit of just $762.5K, below the league minimum for this season, he is making the minimum $775K in actual salary this season at both the NHL and AHL levels. In 30 games with AHL Bakersfield last season, Niemeläinen notched two goals, five assists and seven points in 30 contests. Edmonton selected him in the third round, 63rd overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft.