Los Angeles Kings Loan Three Players To AHL
All around the league we’re seeing players sent back to the AHL for the upcoming break, to save money for their NHL club and stay fresh with minor league action. For the Los Angeles Kings, that means Tobias Bjornfot, Samuel Fagemo, and Alex Turcotte are all on their way back to the Ontario Reign.
Despite still having one of the deepest prospect pools in the league, it’s not development that the Kings are focused on these days. The club is tied for first place in the Pacific Division and is looking to avenge its first-round loss from last year’s playoffs.
They have moved young players on and off the roster all year, with these three, in particular, totaling just 19 appearances. Fagemo leads the trio in scoring with three points in nine games, while Turcotte continues to look for his first NHL point.
It has been a struggle for the fifth-overall pick, whose career so far has been disrupted by injury and inconsistent play. He’s suited up just 23 times this season at any level, and has 12 points to show for it.
Jussi Olkinuora Clears Unconditional Waivers
Feb 1: Olkinuora has cleared waivers according to CapFriendly, and will have his contract terminated.
Jan 31: As the trade deadline approaches, teams will be trying to open up additional contract slots just to give themselves some flexibility. After one player hit unconditional waivers yesterday, another finds himself there today. Jussi Olkinuora has been waived by the Detroit Red Wings for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.
Olkinuora, 32, was signed by the Red Wings last summer to a one-year, two-way contract to try his hand in North America once again. The Finnish goaltender had played several years in the minor leagues earlier in his career, after suiting up for the Sioux Falls Stampede and the University of Denver.
After just 15 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, a contract termination suggests he’s on his way back overseas. He went 6-8 with the minor league club, posting an .868 save percentage. That’s a far cry from the numbers he was registering in the KHL the last few years, and an understandable catalyst for this termination.
For a veteran player like Olkinuora, struggling in the AHL isn’t always the most rewarding hockey career. Given the depth in net for Detroit, with Alex Nedeljkovic heading to the AHL, he wasn’t even going to play very much moving forward.
The move will open an extra contract slot for the Red Wings, giving them four to work with under the limit of 50.
Senators Notes: Talbot, Greig, Kastelic
The Ottawa Senators are expecting Cam Talbot to resume skating next Thursday after the break, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Talbot last played on January 25 and there is no clear timeline for his return to action, so getting on the ice is a good sign.
Ottawa has received nearly identical goaltending performances from Talbot and Anton Forsberg, but will need a little boost if they are going to try and ride their recent hot streak to a playoff spot in the second half. The team has won four in a row and is now just six points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wildcard spot.
- One of the players that have been key in this recent run is prospect Ridly Greig, who is still undefeated at the NHL level. The 20-year-old has two points in four games so far and has brought new excitement to the group. He was sent down to the AHL last night, but Garrioch notes that Greig will only practice with the Belleville Senators, not play, and then the organization will reassess.
- Mads Sogaard and Mark Kastelic have also been reassigned to Belleville, but it’s not clear if the latter will return immediately following the break. Kastelic hasn’t played since January 21 and will likely need some time to get back into game form.
Anton Levtchi Clears Unconditional Waivers; Signs In Finland
Feb 1: After clearing waivers and having his NHL contract terminated, Levtchi has re-joined his former club team Tappara in Finland.
Jan 30: The Florida Panthers have placed Anton Levtchi on unconditional waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. If he clears, the remainder of his contract will be terminated, allowing him to pursue other opportunities.
You can understand why Levtchi might be regretting his decision to come to North America, given how successful he has been in Finland the last few years. He led Liiga in scoring with 26 goals and 61 points last season, only to find himself mostly in the minor leagues this year.
Through 35 games with the Charlotte Checkers, he has eight goals and 17 points, and has seen just two games with the Panthers. With no points to show for it, his NHL career might come to an end without him ever hitting the scoresheet.
Technically, a contract termination would let him sign with any other team in the league, but these are usually done with an agreement to return to Europe already in place. We’ll have to wait and see if Levtchi ever tries his luck in North America again.
Tim Berni, Marcus Bjork Assigned To AHL
It really says something about how the Columbus Blue Jackets season is going, that two of their regular defensemen are being sent to the minor leagues over the All-Star break. Tim Berni and Marcus Bjork have both been assigned to the Cleveland Monsters for the time being.
The Blue Jackets roster has been ravaged by injuries this season, forcing players into unexpected roles. That’s true for the 22-year-old Berni, who has played 28 games for the Blue Jackets so far.
The sixth-round pick from 2018 has only one full season of North American professional hockey under his belt, and at times he has looked completely overmatched in the NHL. Still, the Swiss-born defender has improved throughout his time with the Blue Jackets, and even logged more than 21 minutes last night in an overtime loss to the Washington Capitals.
Bjork, meanwhile, has less experience on North American ice but quite a bit at the professional level in Sweden. The 25-year-old has 11 points in 27 games for the Blue Jackets this season, incredibly leading all Columbus defenders in scoring.
Both players will likely play roles on the club down the stretch, especially if Columbus ends up trading Vladislav Gavrikov or others. The Blue Jackets are back in action on February 10.
Aliaksei Protas Reassigned To AHL
After an overtime win last night, the Washington Capitals are now on break for the next ten days. Aliaksei Protas, however, won’t get quite as much rest. The young forward has been reassigned to the minor leagues, where the Hershey Bears play three games in the next few days.
Protas, 22, has played 42 games for the Capitals this season but only one in the last few weeks as the team started to get back some veteran forwards. With ten points in those games he has surpassed his total from last season but hasn’t taken quite the step some expected after a good rookie showing.
The massive, 6’6″ forward still doesn’t use his frame as effectively as he could and fails to get on the inside of the defense very often. There’s a belief that big power forwards take a little longer to develop, though, so any experience that Protas can get is valuable.
In the minor leagues this season, Protas has three points in five games. He’ll get a chance to score his first AHL goal of the year while the rest of the Capitals enjoy some rest and relaxation.
Gustav Nyquist Out Rest Of Regular Season
The Columbus Blue Jackets have an interesting scenario on their hands as the deadline approaches. Gustav Nyquist, previously ruled out indefinitely, now has a recovery timeline. He is expected to miss the rest of the regular season but will not require surgery on a shoulder injury suffered last month.
While that would seem to remove him from trade talks, it should be noted that the announcement only states he will miss the regular season – not postseason, necessarily. Nyquist could still be acquired by a contending team with hopes that he could provide some depth in the playoffs, if he recovers in time.
That is certainly a gamble and one that will likely not result in any substantial return for the Blue Jackets, if it does happen at all. Nyquist was going to be a nice asset for them to flip at the deadline, given his history of success in the league and versatility to play up and down the lineup.
It also could impact his future. Should the 33-year-old return even for a handful of games, he would go into free agency with something to build on. Coming off a four-year, $22MM deal with the Blue Jackets, Nyquist could have been looking at one last multi-year deal had he stayed healthy. Now, his market might be more limited – especially if he is unable to return this year.
Evening Notes: Boeser, IIHF/Russia, NHLPA Leadership
After the Bo Horvat trade yesterday, the floodgates appear to be opening on the trade front. That’s especially true for the Vancouver Canucks, who have some desirable trade assets other than Horvat that could find their way out of town by the trade deadline.
One of those is Brock Boeser, who TSN’s Darren Dreger said today continues to receive interest from around the league. However, he reported that any Boeser trade, and the corresponding interest, hinges on how much salary Vancouver is willing to retain in a potential trade. Boeser is signed to a steep cap hit of $6.65MM for the next three seasons. With so many teams already dipping into LTIR pools to stay cap-compliant, Vancouver is unlikely to find a trade partner willing to take the full brunt of the deal. The 25-year-old has nine goals and 30 points in 41 games this season. That’s a 60-point pace over 82 games.
- TSN’s Chris Johnston also reported on today’s edition of Insider Trading that the IIHF has a council meeting set up for March to discuss the status of Russian and Belarusian players in future international hockey events. Johnston notes that any changes to the current ban on those athletes participating won’t be lifted by the World Championship events in Spring 2023. Still, there could be a change in policy heading into the 2024 calendar of events. The conversation was reignited by the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, they likely would have to compete under a neutral flag.
- As the NHLPA continues its search to name a new executive director, NHL analyst John Shannon today reported the list of players comprising the organization’s search committee. Ian Cole (TBL), Jacob Trouba (NYR), James van Riemsdyk (PHI), Justin Faulk (STL), Kevin Shattenkirk (ANA), Kyle Okposo (BUF), Mattias Ekholm (NSH), Nate Schmidt (WPG), Sam Gagner (WPG), and Zach Hyman (EDM) are the members who will determine the replacement for outgoing director Donald Fehr.
Bo Horvat Reportedly “Open” To Extension With Islanders
The New York Islanders made perhaps the biggest and most confusing splash of trade season yesterday, acquiring star sniper Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks.
Critics of the trade question the Islanders’ gamble on a pending unrestricted free agent, notably with the team out of the playoff picture at the All-Star break. A contract extension between the two parties would ensure that New York’s concessions in the trade weren’t for naught.
The day after the trade, though, Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading that Horvat is “open” to contract extension talks with the Islanders. While not a certainty, it seems like the door is open for a long-term union between the two parties, even if New York can’t claw back into the playoff picture this season.
“[The contract talks] will commence in short order, is what I’m being told,” LeBrun said. He also noted that the Islanders would’ve been on Horvat’s list of teams to speak to had he gone to market on July 1, which is something to keep in mind as talks progress.
Only Oliver Wahlstrom is on the Islanders’ list of notable restricted free agents to lock up next offseason. His value is limited, considering his offensive inconsistency and the likelihood that he’s out of the lineup for the remainder of 2022-23 with an injury. He played just 35 games.
With that being said, the Islanders have slightly north of $16MM in cap space to play with for 2023-24, per CapFriendly. Semyon Varlamov and Scott Mayfield are also pending UFAs whose roles on the roster need to be replaced, but could likely be done for cheaper than their current combined cap hits of $6.45MM.
If the two sides can agree on an extension, the Islanders have the space to give Horvat a deal with a cap hit north of $8MM, the likely benchmark for his caliber of talent. The merits of such a contract, considering his sky-high 21.7 shooting percentage this season signals some regression ahead, can be debated.
Minor Transactions: 01/31/23
With the first month of January coming to a close, teams are preparing for a much-needed break with the All-Star festivities commencing this weekend in South Florida. While the AHL will also take a break for its All-Star Classic, other pro leagues will forge along as the NHL hits pause. We’ll keep track of today’s notable transactions throughout the rest of the hockey world right here.
- Former first-round pick John Quenneville has mutually terminated his contract with Swedish club Leksands IF, per a team release Tuesday. The last pick of the first round in 2014 by the New Jersey Devils, Quenneville last played in North America during the 2020-21 season for 16 games with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. He’s since played in Switzerland and Sweden, continuing a long and winding career. Quenneville played just six games for Leksands since the beginning of November and did not record a point. He finishes his tenure with five goals and 12 points in 19 games.