Flyers Recall Alex Bump, Assign Adam Ginning To AHL
After moving Bobby Brink to Minnesota on Friday, it was expected that the Flyers would be giving an NHL look to Alex Bump. That is indeed the case, as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley.
The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the Flyers back in 2022, going 133rd overall. At the time, he was playing in the USHL but a year later, he went to Western Michigan University where his offensive production started to take off. Over two seasons with the Broncos, Bump tallied 37 goals and 46 assists in 80 games which was enough to convince Philadelphia to turn him pro.
Bump got a pair of games in with Lehigh Valley late last season and had played exclusively with the Phantoms until now. Through 36 games this season, he has 11 goals and 15 assists, good for a tie for fourth in team scoring.
The Flyers enter play today six points out of the final Wild Card spot in the East, close enough to not entirely be out of the race just yet even after acting as a small seller on Friday. With that in mind, it’s unclear if Bump will get the chance to make his NHL debut this afternoon against Pittsburgh or if that opportunity will have to wait a little while longer.
The team also confirmed yesterday’s reported reassignment of defenseman Adam Ginning to the Phantoms. Instead of using one of their five non-emergency recalls to immediately bring him back up, they’ll keep him playing regularly in the minors for the time being.
AHL Assignments: 3/6/25
Today’s trade deadline also has minor-league implications. Players must be on an AHL roster at 2:00 p.m. Central in order to be eligible to play in the Calder Cup Playoffs. As such, teams will be ferrying a large number of waiver-exempt players to the minors this morning and afternoon before recalling them before the end of the league day for cap counting at 4:00 p.m. That allows them to bypass the new rule that players must play at least one game in the minors after being reassigned before they’re eligible for a recall again.
Here’s the rundown of today’s reassignments that will be announced during the blizzard of other moves today:
- The Flames will ferry winger Matvei Gridin to the Calgary Wranglers, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation reports. The 2024 #28 overall pick is in his first professional season and is already beginning to look like a natural fit in the Flames’ top nine, posting seven points through his first 18 NHL games while averaging 14:18 of ice time per night. Gridin’s 4.17 shot attempts per game are fourth on the team after Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar were traded away. He’s also got 10 goals and 29 points in 36 games for the Wranglers, but with the Flames’ roster thinning out as they sell pieces off, he’ll be up in the NHL for the stretch run before returning to the playoff-bound Wranglers after the regular season ends.
- The Jets announced they’ve sent winger Walker Duehr and defender Isaak Phillips to AHL Manitoba. Both may find their way back down to Manitoba on a full-time basis before the end of the season as Winnipeg gets some of its IR-bound players back in the lineup, but for now, they’ll serve as depth pieces for the Jets as they potentially subtract more talents from their roster today.
- The Mammoth sent defenseman Dmitriy Simashev to Tucson, per PuckPedia. The 2023 sixth overall pick got into the Utah lineup for the first time since December last night. The rookie has been exceptional in the minors but has just one assist with a -9 rating through his first 25 career NHL outings.
- The Blackhawks assigned defender Ethan Del Mastro to Rockford, per PuckPedia. He’ll be back up after being recalled earlier in the week to replace Connor Murphy on the roster after he was dealt to the Oilers.
- The Penguins have sent down winger Avery Hayes to make him post-season eligible, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The 23-year-old rookie has two goals through his first six NHL contests over the past several weeks, both of which came in his debut.
- The Avalanche have demoted winger Gavin Brindley to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Brindley is in his first full NHL season after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last year, scoring six goals and 12 points in 47 games, averaging 9:51 of ice time per game.
- The Rangers are making sure that AHL Hartford has reinforcements for the playoffs. New York has reassigned forwards Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Pärssinen. The former scored the first goal of his NHL career in a lopsided victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have reassigned netminder Nikita Tolopilo and defenseman Cole Clayton to AHL Abbotsford. Tolopilo has been a mainstay between the pipes for Vancouver over the last little while, managing a 3-5-2 record in nine starts this season with a .901 SV% and 3.27 GAA.
- Unlikely to make the playoffs this season, the Panthers are making sure the cupboards are stocked for the Charlotte Checkers’ playoff run. The Panthers have reassigned Tobias Björnfot and Sandis Vilmanis, allowing them to remain eligible for the postseason.
- The Kraken have reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ryan Winterton to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. The pair have combined for four goals and 19 points in 82 games for Seattle this season.
- According to Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, the Buffalo Sabres have assigned Zach Metsa to the AHL’s Rochester Americans in a paper transaction. Metsa, 27, is in his first full NHL season, scoring two goals and four points in 31 games, averaging 9:45 of ice time per game.
- The best team in the AHL may be even better during the playoffs. To maintain their eligibility for the postseason, the Grand Rapids Griffins announced that captain Dominik Shine and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka have been reassigned in a paper transaction.
- According to Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports, the Flyers have reassigned Denver Barkey and Adam Ginning to AHL Lehigh Valley. Barkey has been an encouraging story of late, scoring two goals and 10 points in his first 26 games of NHL action.
- Murat Ates of The Athletic confirmed that the Winnipeg Jets reassigned defenseman Elias Salomonsson to retain his postseason eligibility. Salomonsson has been relatively disappointing for AHL Manitoba this season, registering one goal and nine points in 29 contests.
- Pushing back on the earlier report today indicating that the Canucks had recalled Ty Mueller, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet shared that he won’t be joining the Canucks. Vancouver will run with a bare-bones roster tonight against the Blackhawks.
- Missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Maple Leafs are making sure AHL Toronto has additional firepower for their postseason run. According to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, the Maple Leafs have reassigned Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan in a paper transaction. Despite being a higher-regarded prospect, Cowan only has two games of AHL experience.
- As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have reassigned forward Josh Samanski to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to ensure his postseason eligibility. Samanski has been exceptional for AHL Bakersfield this year, registering eight goals and 31 points in 43 games with a +6 rating.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Flyers Recall Adam Ginning
The Philadelphia Flyers are recalling some defensive depth ahead of tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to a team announcement, the Flyers have recalled Adam Ginning from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Ginning, 26, is in his fourth season with the Flyers organization. He has primarily spent his time in the AHL, but has been recalled on multiple occasions to serve as defensive depth. He has appeared in only five games for Philadelphia this year, going scoreless while averaging 15:20 of ice time.
Still, he’s been a relatively solid two-day defenseman for the Phantoms. His scoring is down this season, with one goal and four points in 31 games, but he has typically reached the high-teens throughout his professional career in North America.
Depending on how the Flyers operate at this year’s trade deadline, Ginning could have access to more ice time down the stretch. Philadelphia is six points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and 10 points away from the final divisional spot in the Metropolitan.
Since the Olympics, there has been renewed interest in top-four defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen for the right price. Additionally, Philadelphia could look to move out the bottom-pair option Noah Juulsen, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a one-year, $900K contract with the club last offseason.
If the Flyers move out one or both, there is a good chance they’ll keep Ginning on the NHL roster for the remainder of the season, unless they recoup an additional defensive option.
Flyers Reassign Aleksei Kolosov And Adam Ginning
2/25: Ginning has now been returned to Lehigh Valley as well. The Flyers now have one open spot on their active roster.
2/22: After a day of practice, the Flyers have opted to return Kolosov to the minor leagues. He will continue to suit up for Lehigh Valley while Philadelphia rides Daniel Vladar and Samuel Ersson as their top two goalies.
2/21: The Flyers continue to shuffle their roster around to ensure that they have ample bodies for practice before games resume next week. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov and defenseman Adam Ginning from AHL Lehigh Valley.
Kolosov has had multiple stints with Philadelphia this season, one of those coming before the Olympic break with Samuel Ersson dealing with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old has made four NHL appearances this season, allowing eight goals on just 47 shots. Kolosov fared a little better at the top level last season, however, putting up a 3.59 GAA and a .867 SV% in 17 outings with the Flyers.
Kolosov has made 24 appearances in the minors with the Phantoms and has performed much better at that level. He has a 2.65 GAA and a .909 SV% in those outings along with a pair of shutouts. While Ersson was initially expected to be back after the Olympic break, Kolosov could find himself up with the big club for more than a few days if Ersson ultimately needs a bit more time to recover.
As for Ginning, he made Philadelphia’s roster out of training camp but was primarily in a reserve role. Accordingly, he has only played in five games with the Flyers this season and is still looking for his first point. Ginning ultimately cleared waivers in mid-November and aside from a brief stint with Philadelphia in January (where he didn’t play), he has been with Lehigh Valley since then. He’s played in 29 games for the Phantoms and has a goal and three assists.
With Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen still in Italy for the Olympics, it’s fair to say that Ginning’s promotion will be a short-term one for practice purposes only and that it will take an injury or two for him to have a realistic shot of getting back into Philadelphia’s lineup. To make room for the recalls, both Olympic blueliners have been moved to non-roster status.
Philadelphia Flyers Reassign Adam Ginning
According to a team announcement, the Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned defenseman Adam Ginning to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The transaction reduces the Flyers’ active roster to 22 players.
Beginning tomorrow, Philadelphia will embark on a brief two-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins before returning home on Saturday. Given that it’s atypical for a team not to have at least one extra forward and defenseman on the roster for a road trip, the expectation is that another roster move is coming.
That roster move will likely come in the form of Jamie Drysdale‘s activation from the injured reserve, when he’s eligible to be tomorrow. Head coach Rick Tocchet left that possibility open this morning when he indicated that both Drysdale and Bobby Brink may be in the lineup tomorrow.
Ginning, 26, wraps up his second stint with the Flyers this season. He has gone scoreless across five games, averaging 15:20 of ice time per game. He’s been a boon on the defensive side of the puck, averaging a 94.3% on-ice SV% at even strength.
He’s returning to a Lehigh Valley club where he has already played in 17 games this year. Throughout those 17 appearances, he’s registered one goal and three points with a -2 rating. His +/- is tied for third-worst on the team.
Flyers Place Jamie Drysdale On Injured Reserve, Recall Adam Ginning
8:00 p.m.: Philadelphia has quickly replaced the void left by Drysdale on the active roster. According to a public announcement, the Flyers have recalled Adam Ginning from AHL Lehigh Valley. He’s gone scoreless in five games for the Flyers this season, averaging 15:20 of ice time per night.
2:26 p.m.: The Flyers placed defenseman Jamie Drysdale on injured reserve today, per Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With six healthy defensemen still on the active roster and a two-game homestand upcoming, there’s no immediate need to fill his roster spot.
Drysdale has already sat out one game after getting rocked by Ducks winger Ross Johnston on Tuesday night. Johnston was ejected for the hit but wasn’t given any further discipline. While Drysdale is still officially day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, the move rules him out of Philadelphia’s next two games. He’ll be eligible to return on Jan. 14 against the Sabres.
The sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft is having his best all-around season. He’s battled through a lengthy list of injuries throughout his development to overcome some defensive warts in his game. His 3-15–18 scoring line in 41 appearances isn’t the offensive ceiling expected from him, but he’s averaging over 21 minutes per night for the Flyers while posting good possession numbers as their right-shot second-pairing anchor with either Emil Andrae or Nick Seeler on his left flank.
On track to finish the season with a plus rating for the first time in his six-year career, he’s been splitting top power-play quarterback duties with Cameron York. A long-term absence could be tough to swallow for the Flyers, who haven’t gotten a ton of offensive output from their blue line. They also haven’t seen good two-way numbers from Rasmus Ristolainen, next up on the right-shot depth chart behind Drysdale, since his return from injury last month.
Wild’s Tyler Pitlick, Flyers’ Adam Ginning Clear Waivers
Dec. 1: Both Ginning and Pitlick have cleared waivers, per Friedman. Pitlick is expected to stay on Minnesota’s roster while Ginning is now eligible to return to Lehigh Valley.
Nov. 30: This afternoon, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet shared that Wild veteran Tyler Pitlick has been placed on waivers, along with Flyers defenseman Adam Ginning.
Pitlick, 34, has been back-and-forth between the AHL and NHL so far this season, most recently being called back up two weeks ago. His status on waivers is mainly due to surpassing the 10-game threshold in the NHL, more than signifying a desire to move on. Signed to a two-year, two-way deal last summer, Pitlick provides depth since joining his hometown organization, as well as experience, as he was a regular NHLer from 2016-2022. Having cleared waivers already earlier in the season after not making the roster, it is most likely he will return to AHL Iowa, where he has scored three goals in five games, and vie for an NHL return again when needed, at a $775k cap hit. In 15 games with Minnesota so far, Pitlick has zero points, but has mixed it up with 22 penalty minutes.
On the other hand, Ginning offers slightly more intrigue, soon to be 26, as a former second-round selection of Philadelphia in 2018. However, at this point, the 6’3” Swedish defenseman does not have much NHL upside, as he has been surpassed in the Flyers organization by Emil Andrae. This season is thought to likely be his last chance, especially under a new coach in Rick Tocchet, and with pending UFA status. Ginning has skated in five games for the Flyers so far, not recording any stats, and has one goal in 16 total NHL games.
While a team thin on the blueline could pick up Ginning for the short term, it is not likely he offers much more than their own internal options, and most likely, Ginning will rejoin AHL Lehigh Valley to continue his season. At 11-6-1, the Phantoms would be eager to add such a player back to their lineup as a top defender.
Philadelphia Flyers Assign Adam Ginning To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that defenseman Adam Ginning has been sent to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the club’s AHL affiliate, on a conditioning loan.
Because Ginning has appeared in just one game since Oct. 16 and hasn’t played in more than three weeks, he’s become eligible for a conditioning loan. It’s a practice some teams employ with the design of getting little-used NHLers the chance to stay fresh and get into some games. One of the highest-profile examples of the conditioning loan being used in this fashion came in 2022-23, during Seattle Kraken No. 4 overall pick Shane Wright‘s rookie season.
In the Flyers’ case, the rule surrounding conditioning loans is helpful because it allows Ginning to be loaned to Lehigh Valley without needing to clear waivers. The 25-year-old is waivers-eligible, so this move allows the Flyers to send Ginning down to the minors without needing to risk him being claimed by another NHL club.
A 6’3″ left-shot blueliner, Ginning has spent most of his North American pro career in Lehigh Valley. He has almost 200 games of AHL experience, compared to just 16 games of NHL experience. With fellow Swede Emil Andrae emerging as a more reliable NHL defenseman in the eyes of head coach Rick Tocchet, Ginning’s path to consistent NHL ice time appears cloudier than ever.
This temporary loan, which can extend for a maximum of two weeks, is a chance for Ginning to get into some games without his organization needing to risk losing him on waivers.
Metro Notes: Brunicke, Murashov, Ginning
One of the emerging storylines coming out of Pittsburgh Penguins training camp has been the exceptional preseason performance of young defenseman Harrison Brunicke. The 19-year-old defenseman has drawn rave reviews for his play both in training camp and in preseason games, and that praise has come both from the media as well as people within the Penguins organization. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported today that “there is an appetite around the organization” for the Penguins to keep Brunicke on their season-opening NHL roster. Yohe also commented that “some people in the organization” are telling Yohe that Brunicke is “already the Penguins’ best defenseman.”
That’s high praise considering the Penguins blueline currently features three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and veteran Kris Letang, who was among the NHL’s top blueliners for more than a decade. Brunicke is a 6’3, 202-pound defenseman who was a second-round pick in 2024 out of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Widely praised for his poise and mature, pro-ready game, Brunicke is not eligible to be loaned to the Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, and therefore the organization will need to decide whether the player is best served spending 2025-26 back in the WHL or in the NHL. It’s not an easy decision – and some clubs have in the past taken the more complicated route of using AHL conditioning stints to buy time until the player can be sent to the World Junior Championships – but based on Yohe’s reporting it appears the Penguins are likely to give the young defender a chance to start his NHL career.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- If Brunicke is the young Penguins player who has attracted the most buzz this preseason, netminder Sergei Murashov isn’t far behind him in second place. The 21-year-old 2022 fourth-round pick has been excellent in his preseason minutes and is coming off of a stellar debut season in the North American pro circuit. Yohe reports that the Penguins’ plan for Murashov is to give him “the bulk of the work in the AHL this season,” and noted that while the Penguins believe he could be a future number-one goalie, “they don’t want to impact his development” by bringing him to the NHL too fast. The Penguins have Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs set to form their tandem in net this season, so there is not an immediate need for Murashov at the NHL level. But based on everything he’s shown since arriving from Russia to the Penguins organization, he could become a legitimate factor in the team’s NHL plans as soon as next season.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have had a few positive storylines in preseason – namely the emerging chemistry between star sophomore Matvei Michkov and prized offseason addition Trevor Zegras – the competition for down-the-lineup defensive roles has not generated such positive buzz. Per The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet “hasn’t been overly encouraged” by the performances of the team’s depth blueliners – namely Helge Grans, Adam Ginning, and Noah Juulsen. Grans was placed on waivers yesterday and is not expected to factor into the team’s opening-night roster. While Ginning and Juulsen have left Tocchet wanting more this preseason, Kurz notes that the two could currently have a leg up in the battle for limited roster spots. According to Kurz, Emil Andrae “may simply be too small for the coaching staff’s liking” to dress in their opening-night lineup, while Egor Zamula “struggled mightily” in Monday’s preseason game and could be losing his grip on a lineup spot. As a result, a big opportunity could lie ahead for Ginning, who got into just one NHL game last season but played in a top-four role in the AHL.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Aleksei Kolosov, Reassign Adam Ginning
Goaltender Aleksei Kolosov‘s time with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms was short-lived. The Philadelphia Flyers announced they recalled Kolosov from the Phantoms and sent defenseman Adam Ginning the other way. Additionally, the team shared that they placed defenseman Yegor Zamula on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to January 23rd.
The recall is head-scratching at face value. After producing a mediocre 4-8-1 record and a .870 save percentage in 15 games with the Flyers, the organization decided to try Kolosov at the AHL level a little over a week ago.
Kolosov’s results in Lehigh Valley weren’t much better. He posted a 2-4-1 record in seven games, with a .874 SV% and a 3.59 goals-against average. Still, while it’s not entirely the fault of the goaltenders, and it is merely wishful thinking that Kolosov would have produced a different outcome, the Flyers are 2-4-0 since sending him down and have given up 20 goals in that stretch.
The Minsk, Belarus native may receive one or two more starting opportunities with Philadelphia in the coming week. However, this is not the most promising route for him to secure more starts. The Flyers have faced significant goaltending issues this season, and Kolosov’s subpar performance has contributed to this problem.
Ginning is heading to a familiar environment fresh off making his season debut in Philadelphia. He skated in 12:48 of last night’s loss to the New York Islanders adding one hit and one blocked shot to the team’s total. He could be back with the Flyers soon given the team only has six healthy defensemen on the roster without him.
Philadelphia had to make a roster move after yesterday’s acquisition of Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier from the Calgary Flames. Moving to the last part of the transaction, Zamula finally lands on the injured reserve after missing the past four games. Once he’s healthy enough to return, Kolosov or forward Rodrigo Abols will likely be reassigned to AHL Lehigh Valley.