Predators Reassign Kevin Gravel
Apr 10: The Nashville Predators announced Kevin Gravel has once again been reassigned to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals after serving as a healthy scratch in Saturday night’s game.
Apr 8: Defenseman Kevin Gravel has been no stranger to being recalled this season and he is once again rejoining the Predators as Nashville has recalled him from AHL Milwaukee, per the AHL’s transactions log.
It is the seventh promotion of the season for the 31-year-old, all of which have been on an emergency basis. The recall is needed with four blueliners – Roman Josi, Alexandre Carrier, Jeremy Lauzon, and Mark Borowiecki – all banged up and the team hesitating to play college free agent signing Jake Livingstone in a regular role while the Predators remain in the hunt for a playoff spot; they’re one point out of the final Wild Card spot with four games left in their season.
Gravel has played in 23 games with Nashville this season, picking up an assist along with 36 blocked shots and 23 hits while averaging a little over 14 minutes on the back end. It has been his first taste of NHL action since getting into three games with Toronto back in 2019-20. Gravel will likely reprise his typical third pairing role in what is basically a must-win game against Winnipeg tonight.
Snapshots: Wright, DeBrincat, Gustafsson
Shane Wright‘s whirlwind season continues today as the Seattle Kraken announced he would be reporting to the AHL. Wright was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and started the season in the NHL with the Kraken but was a frequent healthy scratch. He played just eight NHL games, scoring one goal and two points and was sent to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds for a conditioning stint where he scored four goals in five games.
Wright was also loaned to Team Canada for the World Juniors and helped them win a gold medal by scoring seven points in seven games and serving as the team’s captain. He then returned to the OHL where he was traded by the Kingston Frontenacs to the Windsor Spitfires and proceeded to put up 15 goals and 37 points in 20 Junior games. Wright’s Spitfires were the top ranked team in the OHL’s Western Conference but were shockingly swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Kitchener Rangers.
Now that Wright’s Junior season is complete, he is eligible to play pro in either the NHL or AHL and the Kraken have chosen to assign him back to the Firebirds who are on the verge of their own postseason. They are in second place in the entire AHL and have just three regular season games remaining before the playoffs begin. It will be interesting to see how well Wright performs in the AHL playoffs after scoring one goal and three points in his four OHL postseason contests.
- The Ottawa Senators are going to do everything they can to keep Alex DeBrincat next season. According to Bruce Garrioch of TSN, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has said he will extend a qualifying offer to DeBrincat if there is not a long-term deal already in place this offseason. The 25-year-old winger has scored 27 goals and 66 points in 80 games during his first season with the Senators. Though his cap hit is $6.4MM, he is making $9MM this season so a qualifying offer would be a one-year extension for the 2023-24 season matching this year’s salary of $9MM.
- Erik Gustafsson was prepared to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight but left during warmup and was ruled out of the game. The Maple Leafs released a statement saying Gustafsson would not play due to an upper-body injury. Luke Schenn took his place in the lineup on short notice. Gustafsson has played nine games with the Maple Leafs since being acquired at the trade deadline, and has four points, including a three point night against the Montreal Canadiens in his last outing.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Jesper Vikman
The Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of possibly clinching first place in the Pacific Division as well as the Western Conference this week, but they have taken care of some off-ice business today as well. Per a team statement, the Golden Knights have signed prospect Jesper Vikman to a contract.
Vikman is a 21-year-old goaltender who just wrapped up his Junior career with the Vancouver Giants. He put up a 3.29 GAA and a .903 SV% in 45 games for a non-contending Giants squad. The Swedish goaltender was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Golden Knights and played one final season in Sweden before joining the Giants. He was called up to play five games in the SHL that season, getting some pro experience as a teenager in a difficult league.
There is a path to some pro playing time for Vikman next season. Logan Thompson has been solid for the Golden Knights each of the past two seasons, but Jonathan Quick, Adin Hill and Laurent Brossoit are all unrestricted free agents this summer and the organization is going to need some depth at the position. Robin Lehner is signed as well but missed the entire season with injury so his status will be in question entering next season as well.
Vikman is now eligible to join the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL where Jiri Patera is the starting goalie. Patera has posted a 2.93 GAA and a .908 SV% and the Silver Knights have just three games remaining in the season before they are done. They sit 9th in the Pacific Division and will not make the Calder Cup Playoffs this season.
Vikman is on a tryout agreement with the Silver Knights for the rest of this season, and his three year entry-level contract will begin in 2023-24.
Seattle Kraken Sign David Goyette
The Seattle Kraken announced per a team release that they have signed prospect David Goyette to an entry-level contract. Goyette was a second-round pick of the Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft after scoring 33 goals and 73 points in 66 OHL games with the Sudbury Wolves in the 2021-22 season. That gave him the most goals and points by any rookie in the OHL that season.
Goyette is not a big player at 5-foot-11 and 174 pounds, but he is highly skilled. He piled up 41 goals and 51 assists for 92 points in 63 games with the Wolves this season. The Saint-Jerome, Quebec native also had four points in four playoff games for the Wolves who were quickly swept in their first round series with the Peterborough Petes.
Goyette just turned 19 last month so he will likely return to the Wolves next season for his 19-year-old Junior season. In the meantime, he is eligible to play for either the Kraken or the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds which is the most likely scenario at this point. The Firebirds have three games remaining in the regular season before the Calder Cup Playoffs begin.
St. Louis Blues Recall Three Players
The St. Louis Blues are down to their final two games of the season, and will not be making the playoffs this year. They don’t play again until Wednesday and close out their season with games on consecutive nights against the Dallas Stars. According to Lou Korac of NHL.com, it appears they will be adding some reinforcements to the lineup to give a trio of prospects a taste of NHL action before the season comes to a close. The Blues have announced Joel Hofer, Tyler Tucker and Hugh McGing have all been called up from the Springfield Thunderbirds.
- Hofer is a 22-year-old goaltender who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He has had a solid season with the Thunderbirds, posting a 2.57 GAA to go with a .918 SV% and a 25-15-5 record in 45 contests. He has also played five NHL games this season where he put up a 2.79 GAA and a .915 SV%, showing some promise in limited duty. The Blues need to find a solution in goal with Jordan Binnington signed long term but struggling and Thomas Greiss a pending unrestricted free agent this summer. Hofer has played well enough this season to show he could be the goaltender of the future in St. Louis.
- Tucker was a seventh-round pick of the Blues in 2018 and has split this season between St. Louis and Springfield. The 6-foot-1 and 204 pound defenseman has put up three goals and 21 points in 39 AHL games while playing a steady defensive game as well. He has been called up already this season, compiling 24 NHL games and scoring one goal and four points. The 23 year old will look to show he can compete for a roster spot next season, even though the Blues have seven NHL defenders signed through 2023-24.
- McGing was a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and is yet to make his NHL debut. The 24-year-old forward is in his third AHL season and has scored 15 goals and 35 points in 68 games for the Thunderbirds. He may get a chance to play in his first NHL game with the Blues playing out the string later this week.
Minor Goalie Notes: Portillo, Boyko, Chenard
The Los Angeles Kings’ top minor league affiliate, the Ontario Reign, has announced the signing of Erik Portillo to an amateur tryout agreement. Portillo just finished his junior season at the University of Michigan, losing to the eventual champions, Quinnipiac University, in the Frozen Four Tournament.
Portillo was originally a draftee of the Buffalo Sabres, getting selected 67th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. Once it became clear that Portillo would not be signing a contract in Buffalo, the team traded his rights to the Kings this season for a third-round pick in 2023.
Being the primary starter in his last two seasons at Michigan, Portillo was exceptional between the pipes for the historical Big 10 organization. Last year, Portillo played in 42 contests, posting a record of 31-10-1, carrying a SV% of .926 and a GAA of 2.14. This season, posting slightly worse numbers, he had a record of 25-11-2, securing a SV% of .908 and a GAA of 3.00.
Now joining the Kings organization, Portillo has a legitimate shot at becoming a regular goaltender in Los Angeles. Trading away franchise-legend Jonathan Quick to the Columbus Blue Jackets this year (Quick was subsequently moved to the Vegas Golden Knights), the team is now carrying a tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Pheonix Copley. The tandem has been good enough since the trade deadline to help the Kings secure a playoff spot, but Korpisalo is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Other goalie notes:
- Finishing off a five-season career in the WHL, goaltender Talyn Boyko has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. Drafted 112th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2021 NHL Draft, Boyko, unfortunately, produced subpar numbers split between the Tri-City Americans and the Kelowna Rockets. Playing in 142 career games in major junior, he carried a record of 56-67-9, and a total SV% of .899. He did get some playoff starts as well, leading the Rockets to the WHL playoffs in 2022, losing 4-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the opening round.
- Fresh off the signing of Jett Alexander to an amateur tryout agreement, the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Nick Chenard from the Owen Sound Attack to an amateur tryout agreement, and he will be a backup tonight for the Maple Leafs. This season, Chenard played in 35 games for the Attack, accruing a record of 14-16-2, carrying a GAA of 3.96 and a SV% of .873.
Minors Notes: Krebs, Maggio, Carroll, Biakabutuka
The Washington Capitals AHL affiliate Hershey Bears poached the WHL today as they announced the signing of Dru Krebs from the Medicine Hat Tigers to an amateur tryout agreement. This will be the second time the young blue liner has signed an ATO with Hershey, signing in April of last year but never receiving any playing time.
Krebs has spent the last four seasons for the Tigers, getting drafted 176th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Capitals after his first season in major junior. This season, by far his best, saw Krebs rack up 41 points, 33 of those assists, in a total of 67 games played. He helped the Tigers secure a playoff spot for the first time throughout his junior career, but they were quickly swept in the opening round by the Winnipeg ICE.
In total, Krebs accrued a total of 211 games played in the WHL, scoring 15 goals and 69 assists. Joining the Bears, he joins a team currently in first place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division, battling the Providence Bruins for the division title.
Other minor league notes:
- Another signing from the CHL today, this time from the Ontario Hockey League, Matthew Maggio has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the New York Islander’s AHL affiliate Bridgeport Islanders. Originally drafted 142nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Islanders, Maggio has become one of the best young players in Ontario. In his draft year, Maggio scored 38 goals and 47 assists in 66 games, and followed that up this year with a 54-goal and 57-assist performance. He led the Windsor Spitfires to the OHL Finals last year, eventually losing to the Hamilton Bulldogs.
- The Henderson Silver Knights, an affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, announced the signing of defenseman Noah Carroll to a professional tryout agreement. Carroll spent five seasons with the University of New Brunswick of the USports League, winning championships in 2019 and 2023. Included in his resume is another five-year stretch in the OHL, playing for the Soo Greyhounds and the Guelph Storm from 2014-2018. In 88 games played for Canada’s top collegiate league, Carroll scored one goal and 17 assists.
- The minor league affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, Grand Rapids Griffins, has also joined the fray of signing CHL products, announcing the signing of defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka to an amateur tryout agreement. Biakabutuka has spent the last five seasons in the QMJHL, split between the Val-d’Or Foreurs, Rimouski Océanic, and the Charlottetown Islanders. In 266 career games in major junior, Biakabutuka scored a total of 40 goals and 78 assists.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Strome, Eriksson Ek
The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Nathan MacKinnon taking home the top spot. The Colorado Avalanche superstar scored three game-winning goals, and broke the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Through 68 games, he has 107 points, a per-game rate that only trails Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Second and third place went to Jordan Eberle of the Seattle Kraken and Alex Lyon of the Flordia Panthers, respectively. Eberle continues to be one of the most “clutch” players in the league, with two-game winning goals last week to bring his career total to 43, and send the Kraken to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Meanwhile, Lyon effectively saved the Panthers’ season by stepping into the crease and posting a .956 save percentage over six starts (all wins).
- The Department of Player Safety has issued a $5,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct to Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome for his actions in last night’s game against the Avalanche. Strome threw a water bottle from the bench as Colorado won the game in overtime, and will have to pay a small fee.
- The Ducks have also made a roster move, sending Olle Eriksson Ek back to the minor leagues. This is the fourth time in just a few days that Eriksson Ek has been involved in a transaction, bouncing up and down through the last part of the season as Anaheim tries to get to the summer break.
Boston Bruins Reassign Five Players
April 10: All five have been returned to the AHL today.
April 9: The Boston Bruins have announced that five players have been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, on an emergency basis. The players are: Vinni Lettieri, Oskar Steen, Jack Ahcan, Connor Carrick, and Brandon Bussi.
The moves come as the Bruins deal with some lingering injury issues while having already clinched the President’s Trophy. While former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall has been activated off of LTIR and back on the ice, the Bruins placed two players on Long-Term Injured Reserve yesterday and have contributors such as David Krejci still on their active roster but out of the lineup.
Since the Bruins are taking on the Philadelphia Flyers on the second half of a back-to-back set of games today, these recalls give coach Jim Montgomery the breathing room he needs to rest certain veterans or at the very least avoid overworking certain players in order to cope with the injury-related absences.
For these recalls, only one has suited up in a game for the Bruins this season, Steen. The other four have played the whole season in Providence. Steen, 25, has already played for the Bruins twice this month and has played in three total NHL games this season, scoring one goal. The speedy Swedish forward has scored 14 goals and 31 points in 63 games for Providence.
The other forward to be recalled is the 28-year-old minor league veteran Lettieri. Lettieri scored 10 points in 31 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season and is an accomplished AHL scorer, with 225 career points in 264 games. This season, he’s leading all Providence regulars with 45 points in 45 games, and now has a chance to make his NHL debut this season on one of the winningest teams in league history.
The first of two defensemen to be recalled is the 25-year-old Ahcan, an undersized offensive defenseman who the Bruins signed as an undrafted free agent out of the NCAA’s St. Cloud State in 2020. Ahcan got off to a fast start to his pro career, scoring 10 points in 19 AHL games and earning three games in Boston with the Bruins.
The following season, 2021-22, Ahcan’s AHL performance was less consistent. But although he finished with an underwhelming 23 points in 46 games, he did manage to earn six NHL games.
Ahcan has taken a step forward this season and become Providence’s number-two scoring option from the back end, producing 31 points in 65 games.
Despite that increase in production, though, Ahcan hasn’t earned time on the Bruins’ roster until today.
The other defenseman to be recalled is Carrick, a veteran of nearly 250 NHL games. The 28-year-old was once seen as a promising up-and-coming blueliner in the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs organizations, but a mix of major injuries and inconsistent performance scuttled his hopes of delivering on that promise in his early-to-mid twenties.
Despite that disappointment, Carrick has over the past two years established himself as a difference-making minor-league blueliner who can contribute on both ends of the ice and help his team make the playoffs. Last season he scored 32 points in 59 games for the Charlotte Checkers, and this season he leads all Providence defensemen with 41 points in 60 games.
Of this group of five players that has been recalled, Carrick is the one who possesses the most NHL experience. The opportunity for him to get NHL minutes is a significant one, as Carrick is on an expiring league-minimum two-way deal and getting some solid NHL shifts on tape before he hits the market in a few months could be extremely useful.
The final player recalled is a goalie, Bussi. Unlike the four skaters recalled with him, the 24-year-old hasn’t yet suited up for an NHL game. In fact, Bussi only made his professional debut last season. He has had a strong 31-game season in Providence, though, and his 21-5-4 record and .925 save percentage are highly respectable figures.
It’s unclear whether Bussi will get any time in the Bruins’ crease as they close out their regular season, but given Vezina Trophy contender Linus Ullmark‘s injury history over the course of his career, it seems logical that the Bruins would want to add another name to the mix in their crease to ensure their two established netminders are able to get the rest they might need before the playoffs.
Seeing as Providence doesn’t play until Saturday whereas Boston has a game today (after playing yesterday) and two more this week, it seems these recalls were made to help add some fresh legs to the Bruins’ roster with their regular-season fate already decided.
Since these moves likely won’t impact their AHL team’s chase of an Atlantic Division title, bringing them to the active roster to possibly allow some Bruins veterans to take a game off seems like a wise decision for a squad looking to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Drew Commesso
The Chicago Blackhawks are adding an impressive goaltending prospect to the organization. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Drew Commesso will turn pro and sign his three-year entry-level contract. Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago confirms that the deal will start in 2023-24.
Commesso, 20, just finished his junior season with Boston University, helping lead the Terriers to the Frozen Four. In 34 appearances this year, the 2020 second-round pick posted a 24-8 record and .913 save percentage, continuing what has been an incredible few years.
In 2021, Commesso was included on the US World Championship squad as the extra goaltender, taking home a bronze medal without appearing in a game. He played at the Olympics the following year, posting a perfect 2-0 record with a .964 save percentage.
As a prospect, he ranks among the game’s best in net, and immediately gives the Blackhawks a legitimate “goalie of the future” to develop. With the complete teardown still in progress, it will be years before Chicago is expected to contend. That gives Commesso plenty of time to hone his skills in the minor leagues, where he’ll likely spend all of next season.