Panthers Assign Mack Guzda To AHL
There is some good news on the horizon for the Panthers on the injury front in goal as the team announced today (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned Mack Guzda to Charlotte of the AHL.
The 22-year-old is in his first professional season after signing with Florida last year as an undrafted free agent. Although Guzda has been up for the better part of the last month, he has yet to see any NHL action, instead serving as a backup netminder. He has suited up in 26 games with the Checkers this season, posting a 2.86 GAA along with a .899 SV%.
Guzda’s demotion means that Sergei Bobrovsky has been cleared to return from the undisclosed injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the last week and a half; George Richards of Florida Hockey Now notes (Twitter link) that the veteran will serve as the backup tomorrow against Washington. While it might seem odd that Bobrovsky won’t start right away, Alex Lyon is coming off a career-high 56 saves last night against Ottawa and has won his last five games. If nothing else, they’ll have a capable second netminder behind him as they look to lock down a Wild Card spot in the final week of the season.
Ducks Recall Olle Eriksson Ek
Apr. 7: Another day, another Eriksson Ek transaction. This time, he’s back on his way to Anaheim with the team announcing that he has been recalled once more from San Diego.
Apr 6: Eriksson Ek has been returned to the AHL today. The Ducks don’t play again until Saturday, after losing to Edmonton last night.
Apr 5: In case of a potential injury to starting goaltender John Gibson, Derek Lee of the Sporting Tribune reports that the Anaheim Ducks have recalled Olle Eriksson Ek from their AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls. This will mark Eriksson Ek’s third call-up to the professional club so far this season.
After being drafted 153rd overall in the 2017 NHL draft, Eriksson Ek has had a difficult time moving up in the Ducks’ organization. He has spent the last four seasons in North America, splitting time between the AHL and the ECHL. Understandably, he has produced much better numbers playing with the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers.
Unfortunately for the Ducks, Eriksson Ek has produced increasingly depressed numbers each season he has been within the organization. In his rookie season in the AHL, he played in 15 games, going 8-6-1, carrying a .901 SV% and a 3.14 GAA.
Last year, Eriksson Ek followed his rookie campaign up with a 7-15-3 record in 26 games, posting a .880 SV% and a 3.44 GAA. This year hasn’t been any better, going 2-14-0, with a .852 SV% and a 4.81 GAA in 20 games. If Gibson is injured for tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, and Eriksson Ek does play, it will be his first-ever start in the NHL.
Thomas Greiss Out For The Rest Of The Season
The St. Louis Blues have announced that goaltender Thomas Greiss will be out for the remainder of the season with a lower body injury. Greiss played in 21 games for the Blues and will finish the season with a 7-10-0 record to go with a .895 save percentage and a 3.64 GAA. He underwent a procedure this past Monday and it was being speculated that it would sideline him until the end of the year.
Greiss was signed in the offseason as a backup to Jordan Binnington and struggled in his first season with the Blues. It was his 14th season in the NHL and his second season in a row where he put up a save percentage under .900.
Greiss had a tremendous five year run with the New York Islanders from 2015-2020 which saw him win 101 games and put-up a save percentage of .915. However, by the time Greiss signed in St. Louis late last summer there was talk that he nearly retired due to a lack of interest in his services.
Now given his struggles the past two seasons it seems possible that the 37-year-old could hang up his skates after this season. It’ll be interesting to see what Greiss does, there remains a possibility that he could still find work as a backup, given how thin the free agent goaltending market will be this summer.
Robert Thomas Back Skating With St. Louis Blues
Some good news for the St. Louis Blues as they enter the final week of the regular season. Lou Korac of NHL.com is reporting that Robert Thomas is back skating today at the team’s optional skate. Thomas has missed the last five games with an upper body injury but took a step towards returning as he did some drills with Blues assistant coach Steve Ott this morning.
Thomas had started to heat up just before his injury with three points in the two games prior to getting hurt. Before that he had been on a cold streak going pointless in four straight. Thomas has been streaky this year putting up points in bunches and then going cold for a handful of games. Despite this, he still has 19 goals and 63 points in 70 games this year.
The Blues have just three games left in the regular season, so it is not yet known whether Thomas will return before the Blues play game 82. St. Louis is already officially eliminated from the playoffs so there is little rush to bringing him back too soon, especially with his eight year $65MM dollar extension kicking in next season.
St. Louis will be an interesting team to watch this offseason. The team has been visibly frustrated with the play of goaltender Jordan Binnington, their defense is old and could use an injection of youth, and they’ve got a solid group of forwards led by Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. They aren’t that far removed from their 2019 Stanley Cup and will likely be looking to push for the playoffs again in 2023-24.
Seattle Kraken To Assign Shane Wright To AHL
John Shannon of The Bob McCown Podcast is reporting that it looks as though the Seattle Kraken will assign 2022 first round pick Shane Wright to their AHL affiliate. Wright had his OHL season ended last night when his Windsor Spitfires were knocked out of the playoffs by the Kitchener Rangers.
Seattle could call Wright up to be an extra skater for the big club in their playoff push, but it appears as though they feel that some time with the Coachella Valley Firebirds would be better for his development.
Wright has had quite the rollercoaster ride during the 2022-23 season. He started the year by making the Kraken out of training camp after a solid showing. Following that he was used in a limited capacity before eventually being assigned to the AHL. In his first run with the Firebirds, Wright tore it up with four goals in five games before being called back up to Seattle. He then won gold with Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championships before being re-assigned to the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. The Windsor Spitfires then traded seven draft picks and two players for Wright and finished as the number one seed in the regular season. Finally, last night the Spitfires were swept in the first round by the number eight seed Rangers.
For all the highs and lows this season, Wright has produced offense more often than not. His only offensive struggles occurred at the NHL level as he has just a single goal and assist with the Kraken in eight games. Given his recent history, it makes sense that the Kraken would like to see Wright gain some traction in the AHL before making a return to the NHL.
Joel Eriksson Ek Out Week-To-Week, Kirill Kaprizov To Return
The Minnesota Wild’s center depth took a hit on Wednesday, as Joel Eriksson Ek was listed as week to week with a lower-body injury, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. The news is a significant blow to the team’s weakest position and takes the Wild’s best two-way forward out of the lineup longer-term as the playoffs quickly approach. Trade deadline acquisition Oskar Sundqvist is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
It wasn’t all bad news, though, as Russo reported that Kirill Kaprizov is set to return to the lineup tomorrow against the St. Louis Blues after missing multiple weeks with a lower-body injury.
Kaprizov has been the Wild’s best skater by a mile again this season, scoring 39 goals and 35 assists in 65 games. His return will be a welcome sight for a team that will struggle to fill the gap left at center by Eriksson Ek’s injury. The Wild managed to stay afloat in his absence, going 7-3-3 in 13 games without their star scorer and recording 3.62 goals per game, well above their season average of 2.9.
The news on Eriksson Ek, however, is concerning for the Wild, as the 26-year-old has been one of the team’s most reliable players this season. He has scored 23 goals and 38 assists in 78 games, logging almost 19 minutes per game in the process of his career offensive year. The Wild have limited options at center without him, though, and pressure will shift back onto last year’s breakout star, Ryan Hartman, down the stretch to carry the weight in the middle of the ice.
Sundqvist’s injury may be less severe than Eriksson Ek’s, but it still leaves the Wild with another hole to fill in their lineup. The Wild acquired Sundqvist in a trade deadline deal with the Detroit Red Wings and has provided solid depth scoring in the bottom six, recording seven points in 15 games with Minnesota.
As Russo notes, the Wild will need to call up a forward ahead of tomorrow’s game from the AHL’s Iowa Wild to ice 12 players at the position. It could be a chance for 21-year-old Marco Rossi, who had one assist in 16 games earlier this season, to get a late-season look in the NHL lineup.
Boston Bruins Issue Injury Updates
Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery provided updates today on the injury status of key players Charlie McAvoy, David Krejci, and Taylor Hall ahead of the team’s upcoming weekend games. McAvoy and Krejci are listed as day-to-day, with Krejci being labeled as “doubtful” for their upcoming games while Hall remains a “possibility” to play.
The Bruins, who have already clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best regular season record and recorded their 61st win last night, are the second-highest-scoring team in the league and have secured home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. While the availability of these players may not impact the team’s regular season standings, their contributions in the upcoming playoffs (or lack thereof) will undoubtedly be critical.
McAvoy left last night’s win against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an upper-body injury and did not return. After sustaining the injury in an accidental collision with teammate Patrice Bergeron, however, Montgomery said postgame that he was removed for precautionary reasons. In all likelihood, McAvoy’s playoff ability will not be impacted, and with nothing left to play for, Boston will hold him out of the lineup to ensure he’s as close to 100% as possible when the puck drops on Game 1 of their First Round series.
Krejci has been a critical contributor after his one-year absence from the team, scoring 56 points in 70 games this season, but his lingering absence from the lineup is becoming concerning. Krejci hasn’t suited up since April 1, sidelined for the past two games with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear whether Krejci’s designation for the weekend’s game is precautionary or if his injury is significant enough to truly keep him out of action.
Montgomery’s update on Hall comes after he practiced in a regular jersey for the first time two days ago since sustaining a lower-body injury over a month ago. With Pavel Zacha‘s versatility allowing Boston to shift him to center on the second line, Hall’s impending return could quickly help replace any offense lost by Krejci’s absence.
Columbus Blue Jackets Assign Four To AHL
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Friday that they have reassigned four players to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. The team has sent defensemen Marcus Bjork and Billy Sweezey and forwards Joshua Dunne and Joona Luoto to the Monsters, as announced in a team release.
As noted by The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, the transaction gives the Monsters some serious reinforcements ahead of the team’s biggest game of the season tonight against the Laval Rocket, their adversary for the final playoff spot in the AHL’s North Division.
Bjork, 25, most recently joined the Blue Jackets on emergency recall from Cleveland on April 1 but has split his time between leagues almost evenly during his first season of pro hockey in North America. He has played 32 games with the Blue Jackets, recording three goals and eight assists for 11 points and 42 penalty minutes. The Umea, Sweden-born Bjork has also played 40 games with the Monsters this season, posting six goals, seven assists, and 13 points with 18 penalty minutes.
Dunne has recorded eight penalty minutes and ten shots on goal in 13 career games with the Blue Jackets since making his NHL debut in 2020-21, but the undrafted free agent signing out of Clarkson University is still looking for his first NHL point. The 24-year-old is enjoying his first full, healthy season with the Monsters, sitting second on the team with 20 goals and 36 points in 59 games.
Luoto, 25, has collected a single goal in 20 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets since making his NHL debut in 2019-20. He has skated in four games with Columbus in 2022-23, recording his first career goal on April 6 after spending last season with Tappara in Finland’s top men’s league. The Tampere-born Finn has also played in 72 games with the Monsters and Manitoba Moose over two AHL stints from 2019-23, adding 16 goals, 17 assists, 33 points, and 32 penalty minutes.
Sweezey made his NHL debut on February 26 and has played seven games with Columbus this season, registering one assist and nine penalty minutes. It’s been an unexpected rise from the minors for the 27-year-old, who got his first taste of NHL hockey due to injuries decimating the Columbus blue line. In 59 games between the Blue Jackets and Monsters this year, he’s yet to record a goal.
With a lack of healthy players available on the Columbus roster to replace the players mentioned above in the lineup, expect Columbus to recall some or all of Bjork, Sweezey, Dunne, and Luoto to the roster tomorrow ahead of their game against the New York Rangers.
Minor Transactions: 04/06/23
Today is another busy day across the hockey world, with 14 NHL games set to be played. Highlights from tonight’s slate include a rivalry showdown between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, a dramatic Pacific Division matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and Jonathan Quick‘s Vegas Golden Knights, and a major contest in Pittsburgh where franchise legend Marc-Andre Fleury has a chance to deal a devastating blow to his former team’s playoff hopes.
In Europe, some similarly major games have already been completed. The Pelicans took a 2-1 lead against Ilves Tampere in the Liiga semifinals thanks to a game-winning goal from former Ottawa Senators prospect Ben Blood, while EHC Red Bull Munchen tied their DEL semifinals against Grizzlys Wolfsburg thanks to a third-period rally. In Sweden, IF Bjorkloven overcame an early goal from Vancouver Canucks first-rounder Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Djurgarden to take a series lead in their chase for promotion to the SHL. As fans everywhere continue to enjoy the great games on offer today, teams in leagues around the world are making roster moves. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.
- Former Carolina Hurricanes 20-goal scorer and 506-game NHL veteran Victor Rask signed a two-year contract with Switzerland’s SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, confirming his transfer from a rival Swiss side, Fribourg-Gotteron HC. Playing alongside multiple former NHLers such as David Desharnais, Janne Kuokkanen, and Reto Berra, Rask had a decent first season in the top tier of Swiss hockey. He scored 26 points in 35 games and last season split time between three clubs, scoring 21 points in the NHL and 10 in the AHL.
- Former Buffalo Sabre Arttu Ruotsalainen signed a two-year deal with Switzerland’s HC Lugano, according to a team announcement. The move confirms his transfer from National League rival EHC Kloten, where he scored 42 points in 52 games. Ruotsalainen, 25, played both 2020-21 and 2021-22 in the Buffalo Sabres organization, compiling 64 points in 70 AHL games and 10 points in 35 NHL games. He joins a Lugano club that lost in the NL quarterfinals and will replace another former NHLer, Brett Connolly, as a go-to offensive producer.
- A few notable players will not be returning to Sweden’s Brynas IF next season, which will take place in HockeyAllsvenskan as the club was relegated for the first time in its history. Some of those notable names include former NHLer Dmytro Timashov (their leading scorer with 33 points in 52 games), former Laval Rocket blueliner David Sklenicka, and Jussi Olkinoura, who played 15 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins this season.
- Colgate University forward and ECAC Champion Colton Young took his first step to professional hockey today, inking an amateur tryout agreement with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The 24-year-old is the brother of San Jose Sharks prospect Alex Young, who has emerged as one of the best scorers in his conference. Colton scored 28 points in 40 games this season and had an impressive 32 points in 38 games last year. Also of note is that Young attended the Edmonton Oilers’ 2022 Development Camp.
- Kenneth Johnson, the brother of Stanley Cup Champion and longtime NHL veteran Jack Johnson, was claimed on waivers today by the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears. Johnson signed his first professional contract on March 28th with the Wheeling Nailers and was let go by the team after playing just two games. Now, he’ll get another chance to show what he can do in North America’s third-tier pro league.
- The AHL’s Ontario Reign, the affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, have signed Pennsylvania State University forward Ture Linden to a PTO. Linden made the ECAC’s Second All-Star Team last season as a forward for RPI, scoring 39 points in 44 games. He transferred to the Nittany Lions and had a solid season there, tallying 29 points in 39 games. Now, he’ll get a chance to earn a pro contract for the first time in his career with the Reign.
- After helping his team defeat Brynas and narrowly avoid relegation to HockeyAllsvenskan, Johan Olofsson is headed back to the Malmo Redhawks on a one-year contract extension. The 28-year-old is a veteran of nearly 500 SHL games and has played the last six seasons with the Redhawks. He scored 15 points in 48 games this season and will look to help secure Malmo’s SHL place next season.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Jason Demers, Place Ryan McLeod On LTIR
The Edmonton Oilers have made two roster moves, recalling veteran defenseman Jason Demers from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, and placing forward Ryan McLeod on long-term injured reserve.
The recall puts Demers in a position to play his 700th career NHL game, and his first since the 2020-21 season. The 34-year-old defenseman last played in the NHL for the Arizona Coyotes, a team he landed on in a 2017 swap of pricey contracts, with Arizona sending Jamie McGinn to the Florida Panthers in return. Demers played four years with the Coyotes before signing in the KHL with Ak-Bars Kazan in the summer of 2022.
Demers played just nine games in the KHL, and his 2021-22 season was most notable for his work representing Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He scored two points as one of Canada’s most experienced defensemen, and his performance on that major stage helped him earn a PTO with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors in October.
That PTO became a full contract with the Oilers in December, and now the forward momentum Demers has been building in his career has materialized into an NHL call-up. Demers has been playing in a top-four role with the Condors, but will likely play a limited role with the Oilers should head coach Jay Woodcroft dress him for a game.
As for McLeod, his placement on LTIR was needed to facilitate this move since the Oilers do not have the cap space to make a recall otherwise. The 23-year-old 2018 second-round pick has scored 22 points in 55 games this season as a regular bottom-sixer for Edmonton, although he hasn’t played since a March 14th contest against the Ottawa Senators. As we covered last month, reports indicate that McLeod is dealing with a shoulder injury.