Minor Transactions: 12/22/17
Even during the NHL roster freeze, some moves will still be made on the fringes to get teams ready for the holiday break. As always, we’ll keep you updated on all the minor transactions around the league.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Sonny Milano back to the minor leagues. Milano of course can be loaned to the Cleveland Monsters during the freeze because he had previously been recalled after December 11th. The 21-year old Milano has 10 points in 28 games with the Blue Jackets this season.
- Colby Cave is on his way back to the minor leagues, after filling in for some sick Boston Bruins last night. The 22-year old Cave made his NHL debut, but was on emergency conditions and must be sent back to the minor leagues. The undrafted former junior teammate of Jake DeBrusk, Cave has become a welcome part of the Providence Bruins, providing a checking presence and chipping in offensively now and again.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Chris Didomenico from the AHL due to injuries suffered by Zack Smith and Bobby Ryan. As Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun reports, Smith will be out for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury while Ryan should only miss one game. Brennan also reports that Daniel Taylor should be another call-up by the Senators if Craig Anderson can’t go because of an illness.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Danny O’Regan down to the minor leagues while recalling Joakim Ryan. That gives the team a seventh defenseman while Paul Martin remains on his conditioning stint in the minor leagues, with one game remaining before the Christmas break.
Senators Claim Chris DiDomenico Off Waivers From Tampa Bay
Chris DiDomenico‘s stint in Tampa Bay’s organization didn’t last long. After being placed on waivers yesterday, the Senators have claimed the winger, per a team announcement (Twitter link). This comes on the heels of the Lightning claiming him from Ottawa just a week ago.
[Related: Updated Senators Depth Chart from Roster Resource]
In his time with Tampa Bay, DiDomenico only played in the minors on a conditioning stint. He suited up in three games with their AHL affiliate in Syracuse, scoring once during that span.
DiDomenico initially cleared waivers at the end of training camp but injuries up front gave him a chance to be recalled early on in the season to Ottawa. He initially made quite the impact as he recorded five points in his first five games. However, his ice time decreased after that and he picked up just a lone assist in his final seven games with the Sens before they placed him on waivers last weekend.
If the Senators were the only team to claim the 28-year-old, they will be eligible to send him down to their AHL affiliate in Belleville. If, however, any other team behind them in the priority list put in a claim, then they would have to re-waive him in order to try to send him back down.
- In other waiver news on Saturday, Oilers winger Iiro Pakarinen cleared waivers, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link). The team announced via Twitter that he has been assigned to Bakersfield of the AHL.
Oilers Claim Nathan Walker Off Waivers
Nathan Walker became the first Australian-born player to play in the NHL earlier this season and he’ll soon become the first Australian-born player to play for a Canadian NHL team as well. The young forward was placed on waivers by the Washington Capitals yesterday and the Edmonton Oilers announced this morning that they have claimed him.
Walker, 23, had one goal in seven games for the Caps thus far this season, but played with an impressive edge in his bottom-six role. At just 5’9″, 186-lbs., Walker may not have the typical size of an energy line contributor, but makes up for it with more than enough actual energy. The disappointing Oilers could use an injection of tenacity and work ethic more than perhaps any other team in the league, making Walker a potential steal as a waiver claim.
In a corresponding move, Iiro Pakarinen has been placed on waivers by Edmonton. He joins Ottawa’s Chris DiDomenico on the wire today. Walker’s waiver wire partner yesterday, Buffalo’s Matt Tennyson, has cleared and has been sent down to the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
Minor Transactions: 11/25/17
Despite a busy Friday, there is a large slate of games on the schedule for Saturday which means there should be several roster moves made leading up to puck drop. We’ll keep tabs on those here.
- The Blue Jackets have once again shuffled their backup goaltenders, announcing that Joonas Korpisalo (along with forward Markus Hannikainen) have been assigned to Cleveland of the AHL while netminder Matiss Kivlenieks has been recalled. Korpisalo has only played in four NHL contests this season which isn’t ideal for a waiver-exempt goalie so this will allow him to get a game or two in at the minor league level before swapping back in the near future. As for Hannikainen, he has been in and out of the lineup this year and has four points in 12 games despite playing just over eight minutes per game.
- The Bruins announced that they have recalled winger Jordan Szwarz on an emergency basis and have returned defenseman Rob O’Gara to AHL Providence. Szwarz rejoins Boston after being sent down back on Wednesday. He has played time times with the big club in 2017-18, collecting three assists but has been quite productive in Providence, picking up eight points in only six games. Meanwhile, O’Gara has split the season between the NHL and AHL so far. In eight appearances with Boston, he has been held off the scoresheet while logging 10:59 per night and has collected two assists in seven minor league contests.
- Chris DiDomenico‘s debut with Tampa Bay will have to wait a while yet as the team has assigned him to Syracuse of the AHL on a conditioning stint, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. The Lightning claimed him off waivers from the Senators on Friday but he hasn’t played in nearly a week.
Lightning Claim Chris DiDomenico Off Waivers From Senators
Tampa Bay has added some depth up front by claiming forward Chris DiDomenico off waivers from the Senators, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).
DiDomenico cleared waivers at the end of training camp but injuries up front gave him a chance to be recalled early on. He made quite the impact as well, recording five points in his first five games. However, his ice time decreased in recent games and he picked up just a lone assist in his final seven games with the team.
Lightning GM Steve Yzerman acknowledged earlier today with their recall of Cory Conacher that a couple of forwards were nursing minor injuries so adding DiDomenico should serve as insurance in the short-term.
Intriguingly, this claim comes just two days after Ottawa claimed forward Gabriel Dumont off waivers from the Lightning. It was DiDomenico who wound up losing his roster spot as a result of Dumont’s addition so in essence, this wound up being a trade completed over the span of several days.