Colton White, Dillon Heatherington Clear Waivers
Jan 20: White and Heatherington have both cleared waivers, according to Friedman. They can now be assigned to the taxi squad or the minor leagues.
Jan 19: The New Jersey Devils have placed Colton White on waivers today according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, but he won’t be alone. The Ottawa Senators have also placed Dillon Heatherington on waivers. William Lagesson of the Edmonton Oilers, on waivers yesterday, has cleared and can be sent to the minor leagues.
White, 24, already cleared waivers at the beginning of the season but has spent enough time on the active roster to need them again. In eight games with the Devils this year, he has two points while averaging just over 12 minutes a night. A fourth-round pick from 2015, the minor league defenseman is headed for Group VI unrestricted free agency in the summer, given he only has 19 NHL games under his belt to this point. After Lagesson cleared, it seems unlikely that White would earn a claim, meaning he’s probably headed to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
In Heatherington’s case, waivers is nothing new. He cleared at the beginning of this season and twice in previous years, as a depth defenseman without much NHL experience. In fact, nine of his 20 career games have come this season with the Senators, though none of those have been since the middle of December. With so many younger players fighting for playing time on the Ottawa back end, Heatherington’s time on the active roster is likely over.
He too will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer after signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Senators in July. That deal carries a league-minimum $750K cap hit, meaning he at least could be a target for a team dealing with COVID-related absences that needs a short-term replacement.
New Jersey Devils Sign Kyle Shapiro To ATO
The New Jersey Devils were in trouble when they were forced to put both Akira Schmid and Mackenzie Blackwood in the COVID protocol. The only other healthy goaltender in the entire organization was Jon Gillies. While he’ll get the start tonight, his backup will be Kyle Shapiro, who has signed an amateur tryout contract.
Shapiro, 28, is an assistant coach with the NAHL’s New Jersey Titans and serves as a regular emergency backup for the Prudential Center. He played four seasons of Division III college hockey, three of them with the University of Southern Maine and one with New England College. If forced into action, it would be his first competitive game since the 2017-18 season.
It’s not all bad news for the Devils though. The team has also activated Nathan Bastian, Andreas Johnsson, Yegor Sharangovich, and Pavel Zacha from the COVID protocol. Colton White has also been recalled from the taxi squad. All five players are available to play tonight, giving the team a little bit of a boost as they take on the New York Islanders.
East Notes: Smith, Norlinder, Daws
The New Jersey Devils will get some reinforcement on the defensive end tonight as second-year ‘D’-man Ty Smith will make his season debut tonight after missing the first week-and-a-half with injury, per the team. A move prefaced by the waiving and subsequent assignment of Colton White to the AHL’s Utica Comets, Smith likely makes his season debut on a pairing with Damon Severson. The Devils are now at full strength on defense for the first time this year, and the new-look group that also includes Ryan Graves and Dougie Hamilton will get a real chance to shine tonight at home against the Buffalo Sabres as the team looks to improve to a 3-1-0 record. Smith finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting last season, scoring two goals and 21 assists in 48 games.
More notes from today in the Eastern Conference:
- Per The Athletic’s Marc-Antoine Godin, Canadiens defense prospect Mattias Norlinder will resume skating this week after missing the beginning of the 2021-22 season. While he’s loaned to Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League this season, the Habs prospect had a strong camp and this year is an important one in his development. A third-round pick of the squad in 2019, Norlinder had a respectable 10 points in 37 games last year in Sweden and looks to continue his growth on a defense core that also includes the Detroit Red Wings’ Simon Edvinsson and former NHLer Christian Folin.
- Netminder Nico Daws is making his NHL debut tonight for the New Jersey Devils, the team announced this morning. With Mackenzie Blackwood still on injured reserve and Jonathan Bernier still day-to-day with a lower-body injury, a tandem of Daws and Scott Wedgewood will have to do it for now in Jersey. Wedgewood allowed four goals in a loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday, so the team will give Daws a chance tonight to show what he can do. The 20-year-old was drafted 84th overall in 2020.
Colton White Clears Waivers
Saturday: White has cleared waivers, Friedman reports. No one was placed on waivers today.
Friday: With Ty Smith set to come off injured reserve this weekend, the New Jersey Devils have placed Colton White on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
White, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2015 that has never been able to establish himself as anything more than an injury call-up. He’s played a handful of games in each of the last four seasons, including two early on for New Jersey this year. Averaging just over 12 minutes a night in those games, his play was adequate for the role he was in. White even recorded a point–the first of his career–on a Jimmy Vesey goal a few nights ago.
There seems little risk of him being claimed, given the acquiring team would need to keep him in the NHL, but even if he does the Devils have some other options to fill that depth role. Already they were carrying eight defensemen after claiming Mason Geertsen earlier this month, though they’ve been using him as a forward through the early part of the season. Should White clear, he’ll likely return at some point this year if the team deals with any other injuries on the blue line.
New Jersey Devils Sign Colton White
The New Jersey Devils have signed Colton White to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2021-22 season. The deal will pay White $750K at the NHL level and $130K at the AHL level.
White, 24, was scheduled for restricted free agency this summer after spending most of the season in the AHL. The minor league defenseman wore an “A” as an alternate captain for the Binghamton Devils and could very well be ticketed to have a leadership role on the new Utica team in 2021-22. Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, he has managed just 11 games at the NHL level to this point. He has become a core piece at the AHL though, and certainly had enough upside to bring back.
Because he will turn 25 next season, White will be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency a year from now, unless he plays most of the season with New Jersey. That seems very unlikely, meaning he’ll get a chance to hit the open market after this one-year deal expires. For now, he’s headed back to the Devils to compete for playing time on a league-minimum deal.
East Notes: Malkin, Siegenthaler, Chara, Capitals
Penguins center Evgeni Malkin returned to practice on Friday with a non-contact jersey as he continues to work his way back from a lower-body injury that’s believed to be a knee issue, notes Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The veteran has been out since mid-March and is currently on LTIR. If he’s able to return between now and the end of the regular season, Pittsburgh will need to clear just over $2.6MM off their books to get cap compliant before he can be activated. Injuries have limited the 34-year-old to just 29 games this season and he hasn’t been as productive as usual with eight goals and 16 assists in those contests.
More from the East Division:
- Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler has been placed in COVID protocol, the team announced (Twitter link). New Jersey acquired the 23-year-old earlier this month and had given him a bigger role as Siegenthaler has averaged 17:10 per game in six contests with the Devils after logging just 13:23 per game in seven matches with Washington. Colton White was recalled to take Siegenthaler’s place in the lineup.
- The Rangers were among the teams that showed considerable interest in Zdeno Chara last offseason, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The 43-year-old was eyed as a mentor to what has become a very young back end with five rearguards aged 23 or younger suiting up against Philadelphia earlier in the week. However, Chara opted to sign with Washington in the hopes of a long playoff run. New York is likely going to have a similar desire to add a veteran for next year as well but they may be better served going after someone that can play a bit higher in the lineup.
- The Capitals will be keeping their AHL coaching staff around for the foreseeable future as the team announced recently that head coach Spencer Carbery, assistant coach Patrick Wellar, and associate goalie coach Alex Westlund have all signed multi-year contract extensions. Carbery is in his third season at the helm with Hershey with the Bears posting a .702 points percentage over that span. Hershey has a 16-5-2 record this season to lead the seven-team North Division in points with 34.
Colton White Re-Signs With New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Colton White to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a $700K salary in the NHL, paying White just $90K in the AHL. The 23-year-old was not eligible for salary arbitration.
After the additions of Ryan Murray and Dmitry Kulikov this offseason, White may find himself a little further down the organizational depth chart than expected. The 2015 fourth-round pick has actually played in a handful of NHL games the last two seasons, even receiving more than 20 minutes of ice time in a February game against the St. Louis Blues. It’s going to be tough to find those minutes this year, meaning he’ll probably have to settle for a role on the Binghamton Devils of the AHL once again.
Still looking for his first NHL point, White does have 51 in 163 career AHL games, a fine total for a mid-round pick still trying to find his way. If his game continues to improve, perhaps an opportunity will come about next season when Murray, Kulikov and Connor Carrick are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency. If not, he’s still a valuable piece to have in the minor leagues in case of injury.
New Jersey Devils Issue Qualifying Offers
The New Jersey Devils have issued qualifying offers to Mackenzie Blackwood, Jesper Bratt, Joey Anderson, Nick Merkley and Colton White, keeping them in the organization. The team did not qualify John Hayden or Mirco Mueller, meaning both players will become unrestricted free agents on Friday.
The five that were qualified don’t come as much of a surprise, but figuring out contract extensions with Blackwood and Bratt should be a priority for GM Tom Fitzgerald this offseason. The 23-year-old Blackwood has established himself as the team’s starting goaltender after posting a .916 save percentage across his first 70 appearances. Bratt meanwhile scored 16 goals this season, trailing only Kyle Palmieri and the departed Blake Coleman for the team lead.
It’s Hayden and Mueller that may raise some eyebrows, as both were regulars for the Devils this year. Hayden, a third-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, suited up 43 times for the Devils this year but scored just three goals. He was arbitration-eligible and could have secured a bigger deal than his qualifying offer, but with only 11 goals and 26 points in 156 games it is not like he was going to break the bank.
Mueller meanwhile was a first-round pick back in 2013 by the San Jose Sharks and has spent the last three seasons with the Devils. In 2019-20 he played 50 games for the team on a one-year $1.4MM contract, meaning his qualifying offer would have cost them the same amount.
Perhaps the team is just ready to move on, or perhaps this is another example of finances playing a part in the team’s decisions this offseason. Most have expected a few extra names to go unqualified, adding to a big free agent pool.
Minor Transactions: 02/04/20
It’s a busy Tuesday evening in the NHL with 13 games on the schedule, including Joel Edmundson and Justin Faulk facing their former teammates in St. Louis. The former will receive his Stanley Cup ring and will have his parents in attendance to watch. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic tweets that Edmundson’s family is being flown in from Manitoba by the Blues so they can see their son honored by his old team. As the Blues and everyone else in the league prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The New Jersey Devils have activated Ben Street from injured reserve, assigning him to the minor leagues immediately. Colton White won’t be there to greet him however, as the 22-year old defenseman has been recalled to the NHL. The Devils were without Sami Vatanen or Nico Hischier at the morning skate.
- After losing Frederik Andersen to injury last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Kasimir Kaskisuo from the minor leagues. It’s not clear yet how long Andersen will be out (if at all) but the Maple Leafs obviously need to play it safe with their franchise goaltender.
- Martin Fehervary has been recalled by the Washington Capitals, who are preparing to take on the Los Angeles Kings tonight. The team has had inconsistent results from several of their defenders and based on the line rushes reported by Samantha Pell of the Washington Post, it looks like Jonas Siegenthaler will be scratched.
- The Capitals have also recalled Vitek Vanecek after Ilya Samsonov left practice for precautionary reasons. The goaltender was hit up high by Alex Ovechkin and did not return, though the early expectation is that the injury is not serious.
- Curtis Lazar is dealing with an illness for the Buffalo Sabres, so the team has recalled Rasmus Asplund from the minor leagues. Asplund has played 28 games for the Sabres this season, scoring three points.
Minor Transactions: 11/17/19
Most of the NHL is at rest today after the huge number of Saturday games, meaning just four teams are in action. The Buffalo Sabres travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks, while the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights get reacquainted in Sin City. As teams prepare for the next week of action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- Noah Gregor has been returned to the AHL after playing in ten games for the San Jose Sharks. The 21-year old center failed to register his first NHL point but at least got his feet wet and saw what would be required of him at the next level.
- Former NHL goaltender Justin Pogge has found a new home for this season, signing a one-year deal with Sodertalje SK in Sweden’s second league. The 33-year old netminder has spent the last several seasons overseas after a North American career that saw him quickly turn from top prospect to AHL afterthought. In seven career NHL games, Pogge posted an .844 save percentage and 4.36 goals against average.
- Miikka Salomaki has been assigned to the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators after five games with the team. The 26-year old was recalled on October 19th, meaning he’s close to needing waivers again. Sending him to the AHL now leaves the Predators with some extra roster flexibility.
- The Boston Bruins have returned three players to their AHL affiliate, according to the AHL transactions page. The website reports that the Bruins have sent forwards Paul Carey and Trent Frederic and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to Providence. Carey played Saturday in their shootout loss to Washington, receiving 6:22 of playing time. Frederic played back-to-back games Friday and Saturday, but was held scoreless, while Vaakanainen played in three games, playing 19:19 on Saturday.
- The Athletic’s Darren Haynes reports that the Calgary Flames have recalled forward Dillon Dube from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Dube, who has dominated in the AHL, but struggled last year in his first taste of NHL action, was brought in to spark the team, which has been struggling with offense recently. Dube has four goals and 13 points in 13 games with the Heat. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis adds that forward Alan Quine was sent to Stockton in a corresponding move.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned forwards Brandon Pirri and Nicolas Roy to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Pirri cleared waivers and has already been reported to have been sent to Chicago, while Roy has been up and down multiple times this year as a fourth-line option for Vegas. The 22-year-old has fared well in six games, posting a goal and three points.
- The Dallas Stars announced they have re-assigned center Rhett Gardner to the Texas Stars of the AHL. The 23-year-old had appeared in eight games for Dallas but failed to register a point. He had eight shots on goal over that span. With no game until Tuesday, it could just be a paper transaction to save some cap space.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Joe Hicketts to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Hicketts has appeared in five games for the Red Wings, which included picking up his first point of the season Saturday in their shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned defenseman Colton White to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. White was recalled Friday by the team but served as an emergency defenseman for Saturday’s game against Montreal.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forward Eetu Luostarinen from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, according to a Checkers’ release. The 21-year-old Luostarinen was recalled 10 days ago, and appeared in three games for the Hurricanes, registering one assist, before being returned to Charlotte. The 2017 second-round pick has looked good in the AHL with five goals and eight points in 12 games.
- After being sent back to the minors following Saturday’s game, the Canadiens announced that they’ve recalled winger Charles Hudon from AHL Laval. He played less than eight minutes yesterday in his season debut but with Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin both injured, Montreal was down to just 11 healthy forwards.
- The Rangers have decided to give Lias Andersson some more playing time as they’ve assigned him to Hartford of the AHL per a team release. The seventh pick in 2017 has just one assist in 17 games this season while playing less than ten minutes per night. Winger Tim Gettinger has been recalled to take his place on the roster.