Minor Transactions: 11/23/22
There’s a busy schedule tonight across the NHL, with fifteen contests set to be played. Highlighted by the New Jersey Devils’ chase of a franchise-record fourteenth-straight win, tonight looks set to be a treat for hockey fans. As these games are set to begin, teams across the hockey world are making tweaks to their roster. We’ll keep track of all those moves here.
- Theodor Niederbach, one of three Detroit Red Wings 2020 second-round picks, is headed down a division. Per a team announcement, HockeyAllsvenskan’s MoDo Hockey has received Niederbach on a loan from his SHL club, Rogle BK. The hope is that Niederbach can find more offensive success in Ornskoldsvik than he was finding in the SHL, as he has just one goal and zero assists in 17 SHL games so far this year.
- Pavel Gogolev, an undrafted prospect who was signed into the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, has been assigned to the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers. Gogolev had been with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, and he played a single game there. Gogolev should be an elite scorer in Newfoundland, as he scored 20 points in just 14 games there last season to go along with eight points in ten playoff games.
- Veteran Swiss league forward Julian Schmutz has just seven points in 22 games so far this season playing for HC Davos, but that hasn’t stopped him from securing his playing future. Per a team announcement, rival Swiss club SCL Tigers has signed Schmutz to a three-year contract, set to begin after this season. The Tigers have had a tough season so far in 2022-23, with just nine wins in 23 games, so they’ll hope that Schmutz can improve their overall game next season.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Snapshots: Memorial Cup, Spengler Cup, Hanus
The CHL has officially announced the four clubs that have submitted applications to host the 2024 Memorial Cup. The Kingston Frontenacs, Niagara IceDogs, Saginaw Spirit, and Soo Greyhounds will send in bids before the deadline in January, with the winning club announced in March.
The tournament is moved through the leagues each year, meaning it was only open to OHL bids for 2024. The 2023 tournament will be held in Kamloops, British Columbia.
- Team Canada has its leadership for the Spengler Cup decided, with Shane Doan managing the roster and Travis Green taking head coaching duties, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Green is still under contract with the Vancouver Canucks, though he hasn’t coached since being fired in the middle of 2021-22.
- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have parted ways with Clay Hanus, as the undrafted defenseman has decided to leave pro hockey and accept the education package given by his former junior club. Hanus had only played two games – both at the ECHL level – since signing an AHL deal in the summer.
Wayne Simmonds, Zach Sanford Clear Waivers
Nov 23: While Hellberg was claimed yet again, both Simmonds and Sanford have cleared and can be sent to the minor leagues.
Nov 22: The NHL waiver wire is busy today, with three names available for claim. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zach Sanford of the Nashville Predators, and Magnus Hellberg of the Seattle Kraken have all been placed on waivers.
For Simmonds, this isn’t much of a surprise. The 34-year-old has already passed through waivers once this season in early October. No longer a regular in the Toronto lineup, he has bounced up and down between the NHL and AHL whenever necessary, playing in just four games to this point. He’ll likely continue to do the same thing, but needed to have his waiver clock reset after 30 days on the active roster had passed.
Hellberg, meanwhile, will just have to hope he doesn’t have to move again. The veteran netminder signed with the Seattle Kraken but when the team tried to waive him early in the year, the Ottawa Senators grabbed him while they dealt with goaltending issues. While he was taken back by the Kraken, he hasn’t actually played for them yet and is now at risk of another claim. Given his success in the KHL and .935 save percentage in one game with Ottawa, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Hellberg on his way to a new team tomorrow.
It’s Sanford that is somewhat surprising among the three players, as this will be his first time on waivers. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, $850K contract with the Predators in the offseason after splitting last year between the Senators and Winnipeg Jets. In eight games so far he has just two points, and saw fewer than 13 minutes in last night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Notably, he took an interference penalty in a tie game with only 2:52 remaining that could have easily cost the Predators the game, though they would eventually kill it off and win in a shootout.
Because of his size, inexpensive contract, and history of success in the league – Sanford scored 16 goals and 30 points in 58 games during the 2019-20 season – there’s a reasonable argument to be made for a team to claim him. If he isn’t taken, though, clearing waivers will give the Predators a bit more roster flexibility.
Detroit Red Wings Claim Magnus Hellberg
For the third time this season, Magnus Hellberg has been claimed on waivers. The veteran netminder is off to the Detroit Red Wings this time, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
It was Detroit that signed Hellberg out of the KHL last season, and where he made his NHL return for one game. Their interest in him is obvious and yet, this is still something of a curious move.
Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic are in place as the current duo, though the latter has experienced serious struggles this year. With an .873 save percentage, the 26-year-old has been one of the weakest netminders in the NHL and looks quite different from the goalie that was so good down the stretch for Carolina in 2021.
With Hellberg now in the mix, it’s unclear where Nedeljkovic’s future stands. He carries a $3MM cap hit this season and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the year.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Conor Timmins
The Toronto Maple Leafs have found their defenseman, acquiring Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. The team will be sending minor league forward Curtis Douglas in return.
At one point, not too long ago, Timmins was one of the brightest young defensive prospects in the game. He was a big part of the trade that sent Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche last summer, and was supposed to be a key player for Arizona’s rebuild.
But injuries have ruined his career so far, with Timmins playing just 105 games since the start of the 2018-19 season. Just two of those have come this year with Arizona, before he was sent down on a conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners. As Morgan explains, the team wanted to send him down for a longer period in the AHL but he would have certainly been claimed on waivers.
Instead, he heads to Toronto where—you may have guessed—he is reunited with his other Soo Greyhounds alumni. Three of the Maple Leafs’ current roster defensemen were on the 2017-18 Greyhounds roster. Timmins, Mac Hollowell, and Rasmus Sandin were an incredible trio on that junior team, and will now be reunited in Toronto.
Whether Timmins can ever reach his previous potential remains to be seen, but it’s a worthwhile gamble for a Toronto team that is desperate for help on the back end. Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie are all injured long-term, meaning Mark Giordano was left as the most reliable option.
In Douglas, the Coyotes are getting a massive forward that showed some scoring touch last season. The 22-year-old stands 6’9″ and scored 13 goals and 34 points for the Toronto Marlies in 2021-22. That offensive ability has completely dried up this year though, with Douglas registering just a single point in 13 games so far.
Minnesota Wild Acquire Ryan Reaves
The Minnesota Wild have acquired Ryan Reaves from the New York Rangers, sending a 2025 fifth-round pick in return.
Reaves, 35, had been left out of the Rangers lineup for a good chunk of this season, suiting up only 12 times so far. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, his agent requested a trade while the team was in Los Angeles.
The move is a positive one for both sides. Reaves will get a better chance at playing time with the Wild, while the Rangers move out his entire $1.75MM cap hit. That gives them some much-needed cap flexibility, especially for a midseason acquisition later on.
There’s not much to explain about Reaves’ game. He is only a fourth-line option at this point in his career and likely shouldn’t be in the lineup every game. He does bring an immense physical presence and has plenty of experience in the Central Division from his time in St. Louis.
For Minnesota, one of the biggest disappointments in the early going, a change was needed. While an acquisition of Reaves isn’t exactly what many were expecting, he certainly will give their bottom six a different look.
Chicago Blackhawks Activate Seth Jones
The Chicago Blackhawks have lost four in a row and are starting to look a lot more like the team many expected in the offseason. As the players try to turn things around, they are getting a big reinforcement tonight. Seth Jones has been activated from injured reserve and will be in the lineup against the Dallas Stars.
Jones, 28, hasn’t played in a month thanks to a thumb injury suffered while blocking a shot. The veteran had four points in his first eight games and was averaging more than 25 minutes a night.
With Jones in the lineup, the Blackhawks were actually above .500, going 4-3-1 before he was put on the shelf. After going 2-6-2 without him, they’ll try to get the ship righted and stay competitive as long as possible.
While the front office has made it clear that a complete rebuild is underway, head coach Luke Richardson and the players have still been competing as hard as possible. For a player like Jones, who is signed long-term and likely not going anywhere, accepting a lost season isn’t natural.
Still, after allowing 16 goals against in their last three, it will be a tough task for Jones and company to turn things around.
Austin Strand Returned To AHL
With the Anaheim Ducks now at home for the next three games, they’ve reduced their roster again. Austin Strand has been returned to the minor leagues after playing fewer than 12 minutes on Monday night.
The team dressed seven defensemen that game, with Max Comtois still dealing with a lower-body injury and Pavol Regenda sitting out. Strand’s assignment suggests that one of those things will change for tonight’s home tilt against the New York Rangers. The Ducks will be playing in Anaheim for the next three, meaning they don’t need extra bodies hanging around instead of suiting up with the San Diego Gulls.
Strand, 25, has barely seen the ice whenever he does dress for the Ducks, and has failed to register a point in his five appearances. The minor league veteran has only 26 games of NHL experience under his belt and is an unlikely candidate for more playing time moving forward.
Although, if the Ducks do decide to sell at the deadline, perhaps Strand will be one of the beneficiaries. The defensive trio of John Klingberg, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Dmitry Kulikov are some of the most likely trade chips, meaning someone will have to be patrolling the blue line down the stretch.
Nikolaj Ehlers Undergoes Surgery
Nov 23: Ehlers underwent surgery today in Detroit, according to Sean Reynolds of Sportsnet. Team reporter Sara Orlesky tweets that the expected recovery period is between six and eight weeks. Even that timeline seems optimistic, and sports hernia surgeries are notorious for affecting hockey performance long after a player is medically cleared.
Nov 19: It has been a tough year so far for Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers. He suffered an injury in the second game of the season and hasn’t played since then, missing a month. It’ll be quite a while before he’s back as head coach Rick Bowness told reporters, including Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun that Ehlers will undergo sports hernia surgery next week with no timetable for his return. However, he is expected to return at some point this season.
The 26-year-old has been a key part of Winnipeg’s attack for several years now and was coming off arguably his best season in 2021-22 when he had 28 goals and 27 assists in 62 games. He was even productive in his lone two appearances with a trio of assists this year. Unsurprisingly, his absence has been a blow to the Jets’ offense this season as they enter play today sitting 28th in the league in goals scored although strong goaltending has helped lead them to a 10-4-1 record. Ehlers had taken part in a skate with the team back on Wednesday in the hopes of returning but clearly, something didn’t go as planned.
Winnipeg is one of only nine teams with at least $1MM in cap space at the moment, per CapFriendly which gives them at least a little bit of flexibility to work with. They’re currently carrying eight defensemen and could move out one of those to free up a bit more space to add a replacement forward beyond a recall from AHL Manitoba which is how they’ve managed so far even with forwards Morgan Barron and Mason Appleton out after undergoing wrist surgeries. While GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was likely wanting to hold onto his cap space to maximize his options at the trade deadline, a prolonged absence for one of his top forwards might be enough to force his hand sooner than he’d have liked to.
Robert Bortuzzo Activated From Injured Reserve
The St. Louis Blues are getting a little more defensive depth back, activating Robert Bortuzzo from injured reserve. To make room on the roster, Tyler Tucker has been loaned back to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.
Bortuzzo, 33, hasn’t played since November 8 and has no points in ten appearances this season. The veteran defenseman is averaging the fewest minutes of his career, so shouldn’t be expected to make a huge contribution. Still, with Marco Scandella and Scott Perunovich sidelined, the team’s organizational depth on defense was rather thin. Tucker is one of just five defensemen in the minor leagues that are even signed to NHL deals, most of whom have no experience at the highest level.
That was the case for Tucker, too, before he got into four games with the Blues this season. The 22-year-old is a seventh-round pick from 2018 that just continued to climb up the depth chart thanks to a physical brand of hockey that is beloved in St. Louis. In his short NHL stint, he managed to record eight hits, six blocked shots, and five penalty minutes, despite averaging just 13 minutes a night.