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Brett Leason

Injury Notes: Caufield, Stützle, Tanev

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After exiting tonight’s game early in the second period with an upper-body injury, Montreal Canadiens star sniper Cole Caufield will not return, according to the team. He was hit hard in front of the Canadiens’ net by Flames forward Trevor Lewis and reached for his head after the collision.

Caufield and Nick Suzuki’s chemistry have been instrumental in helping the Habs hover around the .500 mark this far into the regular season. Caufield’s 16 goals lead the team, and his 25 points in 27 games are second behind Suzuki’s 29. Any long-term absence from their top goal-scorer will be extremely difficult to overcome.

  • Another Canadian team also lost an important young forward tonight. Ottawa Senators center Tim Stützle left their game against the Anaheim Ducks and did not return after sustaining an upper-body injury in the first frame, per the team. He was checked by Ducks forward Brett Leason, who was given an interference penalty on the play. Stützle’s 27 points are second on the team, and they’re already without their other top center in Josh Norris.
  • For Calgary, they lost defenseman Chris Tanev after taking a puck to the face. The veteran stayed down on the ice after the impact but didn’t require a stretcher and was helped off the ice by teammates. If Tanev is to miss time, Calgary will need to recall another defenseman with MacKenzie Weegar battling an illness.

 

Ducks Claim Brett Leason Off Waivers

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While Anaheim lost a player on waivers today, they also picked one up as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed winger Brett Leason off waivers from Washington.

The 23-year-old split last season between the Capitals and their AHL affiliate in Hershey.  With Washington, Leason played in 36 games, recording three goals and three assists while averaging just under nine minutes a night.  He was a bit more productive with the Bears, however, tallying six goals and seven helpers in 31 contests down there.  His career-best in points in the minors is only 20 despite finishing up his junior career with a dominant performance in 2018-19 that saw him put up 89 points in 55 games with WHL Prince Albert, helping to make him a second-round pick in his final year of draft eligibility.

This was Leason’s first year of being waiver-eligible and he came up just short of making Washington’s opening roster and will now try to earn himself a spot in Anaheim’s lineup over the coming days.  He’s beginning the first season of a two-year, one-way contract that carries a cap hit of $775K.

Washington Capitals Extend Brett Leason

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The Washington Capitals have taken care of a pending free agent negotiation, signing Brett Leason to a two-year extension. The contract will carry a cap hit of $775K, paying him $750K in 2022-23 and $800K in 2023-24. Notably, the deal is a one-way contract, meaning Leason will make that much no matter which level he plays.

Leason, 23, made his NHL debut this season and ended up playing in 36 games for the Capitals, scoring three goals and six points along the way. The 6’5″ forward adds an interesting dynamic to the lineup, representing a size and skill blend that is hard to find around the NHL.

While he isn’t overly physical, his long reach and ability to protect the puck have made scouts and prospect prognosticators excited for years. In his final year of junior, that size advantage led to an incredible 46 goals and 114 points in 77 games, though that kind of production has been hard to come by in the minor leagues.

Still, with Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson both out following major surgery, there will be available opportunities in the Washington lineup to start the year. A player like Leason could take advantage of that and potentially even see time in the top six or on the powerplay, depending on how the lines shake out by the end of free agency.

The one-way nature of the contract suggests that he’ll be in the NHL at least, along with the fact that Leason is no longer waiver-exempt. If the Capitals wanted to send him to the minor leagues, he would need to clear waivers first.

AHL Shuffle: 05/07/22

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While most of the daily roster movement is now finished with the playoffs now well underway, there have been a few smaller moves that have been made today which are as follows.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals announced that they have reassigned forward Brett Leason to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Leason has frequently transitioned between Washington and Hershey this season, drawing solid performances at both levels. The rookie did make his NHL playoff debut for the Capitals before being sent down. Because Leason was sent to the AHL on March 21st, he is eligible to play for the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Central Division

  • The Predators have recalled center Cody Glass from AHL Milwaukee, putting the 23-year-old in the lineup for their third game against Colorado. Glass had a strong showing with the Admirals, picking up 62 points in 68 games while finishing fifth in the league in assists with 48.  However, that hasn’t translated to much success in his limited action with Nashville as he had just one assist in eight regular season games.
  • The Avalanche have brought up goaltender Hunter Miska, per the AHL’s transactions log. With Colorado on the road, he’ll serve as the emergency backup.  The 26-year-old played in 17 games with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL this season, posting a 3.04 GAA with a save percentage of just .889, the worst numbers of his career.

Pacific Division

  • The Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield announced a pair of roster moves today. They’ve added winger Tyler Tullio from OHL Oshawa and forward Jake Chiasson from WHL Brandon with their junior playoffs coming to an end.  Tullio was a fifth-round pick in 2020 (126th overall) and led the Generals in scoring with 42 goals and 44 assists in 65 games, a 25-point gap for that scoring title.  Meanwhile, Chiasson, a 2021 fourth-rounder (116th overall), was limited to just 20 games for the Wheat Kings this season due to injury but still contributed with six goals and a dozen assists.

Snapshots: Mukhamadullin, Wilson, Santini

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The New Jersey Devils are expecting Shakir Mukhamadullin to be arriving in North America soon, after the top prospect recently received his visa. General manager Tom Fitzgerald told the media today, including team reporter Amanda Stein, that the defenseman will likely join the Utica Comets, where he would be eligible to play in the postseason.

Selected 20th overall in 2020, the 6’3″ Mukhamadullin has now played three full season in the KHL, after the Devils loaned him back to Ufa Salavat Yulayev this year. Signed to his entry-level contract in December, it will slide forward and keep him wrapped up through 2024-25 even if he does get into some game action with Utica this spring. The Comets are still waiting to find out who (and when) they will play, after securing a bye following their win of the North Division crown.

  • Tom Wilson is officially out for tonight’s game, but Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette didn’t want to speculate on the big forward’s availability for game three when he spoke with reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. Wilson, who opened the scoring for Washington in game one before leaving early, is one of the hardest players in the league to replace, given his almost unique mix of size, aggression, skating ability, and skill. Brett Leason, who at least brings some of those things, will enter the lineup on the fourth line after being recalled this morning. Wilson is officially listed as day-to-day.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Steven Santini under emergency conditions, once again throwing the team’s defensive depth into question after Robert Bortuzzo’s early exit. The team was already forced to dress Calle Rosen last night, a veteran of just 38 NHL games, and played Justin Faulk nearly 27 minutes in the 6-2 loss. With Marco Scandella, Nick Leddy, and now Bortuzzo all potentially out, the Blues face a tough task in containing Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild.

Washington Capitals Recall Brett Leason

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With the status of Tom Wilson still in question, the Washington Capitals have recalled a bit of size. Brett Leason is on his way up from the Hershey Bears, a meaningful recall, given the AHL team plays their own playoff game tomorrow night.

Leason, 23, played in 36 games this season for the Capitals, scoring three goals and adding six points. Perhaps more importantly, the winger stands 6’5″ and at least comes close to maintaining the level of physicality that Wilson brings every night. Selected in the second round just three years ago, Leason actually has three full seasons of professional experience already, and although still a rookie, is more seasoned than most.

Of course, Washington would certainly rather have Wilson in the lineup if possible. The team announced that he would be a game-time decision yesterday and are already carrying two extra forwards, but apparently needed an extra body as they head into game two with the Florida Panthers. After taking game one in stunning comeback fashion, Washington will have to continue to try and hold off the elite offense of the Panthers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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