Flames Sign Matt Coronato
The Flames had made it known that they wanted to sign top prospect Matt Coronato and they have gotten their wish as they announced that they’ve signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike reports (Twitter links) that the contract carries a base salary of $925K in each season, has $850K in Schedule A bonuses in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and that the agreement begins this season.
The 20-year-old was a first-round pick by Calgary back in 2021 (13th overall) and he has had two productive seasons with Harvard since then. This season, Coronato had 20 goals and 16 assists in 36 games, good for third on the Crimson in scoring behind Montreal prospect Sean Farrell and Kings prospect Alex Laferriere which helped him earn a spot on the Second Team All-ECAC roster.
Coronato’s output was basically identical to a year ago when he also potted 36 points in 34 games with 18 goals and 18 assists. That performance was good enough to earn him Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2021-22. He becomes the third Harvard player to turn pro this weekend joining Farrell and Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun.
With the contract starting now, Coronato will not be eligible to play in the minors this season so instead, he’ll immediately join the Flames. Calgary is four points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference so it will be interesting to see if they turn to the youngster to see if he can provide a spark offensively or if they’ll keep him in the press box for the time being.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that the two sides were nearing a deal while Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to say the contract was finalized.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Jon Gillies On Emergency Basis
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that netminder Jon Gillies has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, on an emergency basis. The move comes after starting netminder Elvis Merzlikins suffered an apparent leg injury during the team’s 8-2 loss last night against the Montreal Canadiens.
Veteran Michael Hutchinson entered last night’s game in relief for Merzlikins and is now likely to take over the starter’s crease for as long as Merzlikins is sidelined. Hutchinson was acquired at the trade deadline from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Blue Jackets’ Jonathan Quick trade and has appeared in eight games in Columbus.
He hasn’t been great in that span and has a .874 save percentage, but it’s important to note that Hutchinson has often been placed in less-than-ideal circumstances having to enter games in relief for other goalies.
Hutchinson in total has played 15 games this season, those eight with Columbus and seven in the AHL with the Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. He posted a 1-5-1 record and an .897 save percentage with Henderson but does have a .917 career save percentage in the AHL.
The Blue Jackets’ newest netminder is Gillies, 29, a 2012 second-round pick who was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes when Columbus sent Jakub Voracek‘s contract to the desert.
The former college hockey star was the backup for five games with AHL Cleveland and has played a total of 15 games this season, all for Arizona’s AHL affiliate. Gillies has a career .893 save percentage in 32 NHL games, with 19 of them coming with the New Jersey Devils last season.
Both Gillies and Hutchinson are on expiring league-minimum two-way contracts this season, meaning the rest of this season serves as an important opportunity for each to put some solid starts on tape and give themselves the best possible footing to enter the offseason.
Philadelphia Flyers Send Tyson Foerster, Egor Zamula To AHL
The Philadelphia Flyers are providing their AHL affiliate with a major boost for their playoff push. Per a team announcement, Tyson Foerster and Egor Zamula have been loaned back to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
While the Phantoms are unlikely to be able to catch the Hershey Bears for the second seed in the AHL’s Atlantic Division (therefore securing them a bye past the best-of-three first round of the playoffs) they could still feasibly catch the Charlotte Checkers to earn the third seed, which could be a factor that motivated these two loans.
Foerster in particular has made this decision a difficult one due to how well he’s played in his first taste of NHL action. Foerster is riding a five-game point streak with three goals and seven points in that span. The Flyers have won four out of their last five games as well, with their only loss coming in overtime against the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.
While this is unlikely to have been any significant motivator to the team sending Foerster back to the AHL, the Flyers are now four points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens for the fifth-best odds in the draft lottery.
By sending their red-hot rookie scorer back to the AHL, the Flyers have (perhaps not intentionally) raised their chances of getting back into prime Connor Bedard contention.
There is, of course, a legitimate case to be made that this is the most appropriate choice for Foerster’s development, and that’s likely to be the sole reason the Flyers have sent him down.
Despite how much NHL front offices seem to value gaining the best odds in the draft lottery, a team is still far more likely to make decisions on individual players based on what they believe to be best for the player’s development.
It’s reasonable to believe that having Foerster play a crucial role in meaningful AHL games for the rest of this season will be better for his development than playing some extra NHL contests near the end of what has been a generally miserable Flyers season.
The 21-year-old 2020 first-round pick has excelled in the AHL this season, thoroughly bouncing back after an injury-plagued 2021-22. He’s scored 19 goals and 39 points in 57 games and will be counted on as a top offensive option for second-year head coach Ian Laperriere.
If the Phantoms end up making any noise in the Calder Cup playoffs, it’s likely that Foerster will be a major reason why.
As for Zamula, he heads back to the AHL where he, like Foerster, has spent most of this season. The 22-year-old has scored 16 points in 42 AHL games and has been a top-pairing all-situations blueliner for the team.
Eligible for restricted free agency in the summer, a strong showing as a number-one defenseman for a Calder Cup playoff team would put Zamula in a strong position for offseason contract negotiations, and help support the idea that he’ll be ready to compete for a more regular NHL role in next fall’s training camp.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Boston Bruins Recall Oskar Steen On Emergency Basis
The Boston Bruins have announced that forward Oskar Steen has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, on an emergency basis. The recall puts Steen in a position to play his first NHL game(s) of the 2022-23 season.
Steen, 25, has been a developmental success story for the Bruins organization, as the 2016 sixth-round pick has 100 points in nearly 200 career AHL games and has 23 total NHL games to his name. That’s a solid return for such a late draft pick, and with an $800k cap hit through next season Steen should serve as capable, energetic depth for a stacked Bruins team.
Steen scored 35 points in 49 AHL games last season and got 20 games at the NHL level, scoring six points. Due in large part to how talented this year’s Bruins lineup is from line one through four, Steen hasn’t yet played in the NHL this season.
But despite that disappointment, he has remained a healthy contributor to Providence, where he has scored 31 points and helped them clinch a Calder Cup playoff spot.
Now, Steen will potentially get a chance to play some NHL games and show that can be an option for the team next season. With the Bruins potentially set to be tight against the salary cap’s upper ceiling for next season, Steen’s affordable cap hit and progress in the AHL could make him an attractive candidate for a bottom-six role next season. Now called up to his team’s main roster, Steen will have the chance to make his case in front of Bruins decision-makers.
Blake Lizotte Suspended One Game
2:25 PM: The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Lizotte one game for his infraction. As was expected, the suspension mirrors the punishment received by Greer for his cross-check on Hoffman, and the punishment means Lizotte will be unavailable to coach Todd McLellan for the Kings’ game tonight against the St. Louis Blues.
10:00 AM: During last night’s win against the Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings forward, Blake Lizotte, was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for cross-checking Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey. The two had been battling across the ice, and Morrissey would leave the ice after the incident, requiring 10 stitches on his face, with another eight on the inside of his mouth.
This morning, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Lizotte will indeed have a hearing for the incident from Saturday night. The event from Saturday night’s game was very similar to the cross-check delivered to Mike Hoffman of the Montreal Canadiens by Boston Bruins’ forward A.J. Greer. It is worth noting that Greer was handed a one-game suspension for his cross-check.
Lizotte, now in his fifth year in the NHL, has not been suspended once throughout his career. Through 70 games during the 2021-22 season, Lizotte accrued a total of 28 PIM, while this year, in 72 games played, already has 54 PIM. Aside from earning more time within the penalty box, Lizotte has become a key depth forward for Los Angeles, scoring 10 goals, and 20 assists for 30 points, a new career high.
Chicago Blackhawks Reassign Buddy Robinson
The Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Buddy Robinson to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, per a team announcement. The move ends Robinson’s latest run of NHL time, a stretch that began when he was recalled on March 13th before a game against the Boston Bruins.
This six-game run began well, with Robinson playing over 11 minutes in his team’s stunning 6-3 victory over the league-leading Boston Bruins. He then helped the Blackhawks to a victory over the Nashville Predators, playing 10 minutes in a 2-1 win. Since that point, though, things have taken a turn for the worse, as Chicago has lost their last four games and been outscored 18-4 in that span.
While Robinson’s ice time has ticked up slightly with each passing game, his contributions did not translate onto the box score. In the losing streak, he registered seven shots on goal and two penalty minutes, and perhaps the most impressive thing he can boast from that stretch is the fact that he had an even plus-minus rating in three of four games despite how decisively Chicago was defeated in those games.
In total, Robinson hasn’t yet found the scoresheet in his seven NHL games this season. He’s been brought to the NHL more for his size and ability to add to a team’s physical game, which is something he leverages his six-foot-six, 232-pound body to be able to contribute.
Now that he’s back in Rockford, Robinson will be able to help the IceHogs in their playoff push. He’s a more accomplished scorer in the AHL than he has been able to be in the NHL, and has 19 points in 45 games this season. His value as a versatile AHL scorer and NHL bottom-six grinder is reflected in the contract he signed last summer, a one-year league-minimum deal that boasted a hefty $475k AHL salary.
If he can help Rockford reach the playoffs and potentially even go on a run, while also bringing bottom-six grit when called upon in the NHL, he’ll put himself in a sound position should he hit the open market in a few months.
Buffalo Sabres Reassign Lukas Rousek
03/26/23: The Sabres announced this morning that Rousek has been sent back down to AHL Rochester.
It’s a tough break for one of Rochester’s top scorers, as Rousek didn’t draw into the lineup for the Sabres’ win over the New York Islanders yesterday. Having spent the day a healthy scratch, he’ll now head back to the AHL where he’ll resume playing a major role in the Americans’ playoff push.
03/25/23: Lukas Rousek’s first full professional season has been a strong one and he was rewarded for his efforts on Saturday as the Sabres announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the forward from Rochester of the AHL.
The 23-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Buffalo back in 2019 and this is his first NHL promotion. After an ACL injury cost him the bulk of last season, Rousek has been productive this year with the Americans, notching 15 goals and 33 assists in 61 games; his assist and point totals are good for second on the team in scoring. If Rousek suits up for the Sabres, he’ll be the third player from their 2019 draft class to see NHL action.
Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News clarifies (Twitter link) that the move has been classified as an emergency recall. Tage Thompson was injured last night while Jordan Greenway has missed the last week with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Vinnie Hinostroza is away from the team for personal reasons so Buffalo certainly needed to bring a forward up. Rousek will get that opportunity but as soon as one of those players is able to return, he’ll need to be sent back to the minors or have his recall converted to a regular one which would then count against the post-deadline limit of four.
New Jersey Devils Send Down Akira Schmid
As Mackenzie Blackwood makes his way back into the lineup for the New Jersey Devils, the team had a difficult choice to make in the net. The team announced today that goaltender Akira Schmid will be sent down to their AHL affiliate Utica Comets. With nine games remaining in their regular season, the Comets are coming close to making the playoffs in the AHL’s North Division with a record of 31-23-6.
After a difficult start to his NHL career last season, Schmid has rebounded significantly this year. Playing on a top team in New Jersey, the goaltender has a record of 8-5-2, with a .918 SV% and a 2.24 GAA, including one shutout as well. Even the underlying numbers bode well for Schmid, with a Goals Against Percentage Minus of 86, and a High-Danger Scoring Chance Save Percentage of .855, Schmid has improved a considerable amount in his second year.
Drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Schmid will be able to log important minutes for a competitive team in Utica. As the Devils have now clinched a playoff spot, they will now have the luxury of all three top goalies on their depth chart playing important hockey into late April.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Max Sasson
The Vancouver Canucks have announced this morning that they have agreed to terms on a 2-year, entry-level contract with forward Max Sasson. Sasson, who just finished his sophomore year at Western Michigan University, will be joining the team’s AHL affiliate Abbotsford Canucks for their playoff push. Sasson’s contract will begin next season, as he will finish out this year on an amateur tryout contract.
In his second season with the Broncos, Sasson scored 15 goals and 27 assists in 38 games played. Helping Western reach the NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, the team lost in round one to Boston University, where Sasson was unable to put any points on the board.
The GM of the Canucks, Patrik Allvin, expressed his excitement about the deal, saying:
“He is coming off a very strong year with Western Michigan and has shown continual improvement in his game each of the last few seasons. We look forward to watching him develop at the professional level with our staff in Vancouver and Abbotsford.”
Montreal Canadiens Sign Sean Farrell
After speculation yesterday that a deal would be coming soon, the Montreal Canadiens have made it official, announcing that they have signed forward Sean Farrell to a 3-year, entry-level contract. At this time, the financial details of the deal are unknown, but Farrell will be joining the team on their trip to play the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers.
A fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Farrell easily transitioned from the USHL to the NCAA. After his draft year, Farrel scored 101 points in 53 games played for the USHL Chicago Steel. As he started his career at Harvard University for the 2021-22 season, Farrell once again scored over a point per game, putting up 28 points in 24 contests. This year, on a very good Harvard team, the young forward scored 20 goals and 33 assists in only 34 games played.
On March 24th, Harvard took on the Big Ten’s Ohio State University in the first round of the NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, losing by a final score of 8-1. In the contest, Farrell was able to put up one point, assisting on the team’s lone goal for the night. Farrell will now join up with a struggling Canadiens team, likely playing in their final nine games of this season.